El Niño is triggered by a rise in surface temperatures of the eastern Pacific Ocean, leading to a phase of planetary warming. The natural phenomenon usually occurs every two to seven years and brings reduced rainfall in Southeast Asia and southern Australia.
Due to the imminent drought that will be brought about by this natural phenomenon, the ministry estimates that dams in Laos would be able to produce only 19 billion units of electricity for export to Thailand, the source said.
The ministry had planned to purchase some 23 billion units from its neighbour this year, which is equivalent to 11% of the country’s overall power demand.
To prepare for the shortfall in hydroelectricity, which is about 2% of domestic demand, the ministry is planning to import an additional 480,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year. The original plan called for the import of a total of 6…
