DFA chief Manalo lauds ACEN Renewables investment in Laos

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique

Manalo lauded the recent investment by Ayala Group’s energy platform ACEN to Laos’ renewable infrastructure as “new facets of cooperation” between Manila and Vientiane.

ACEN’s subsidiary ACEN Renewables International is co-financing the first wind power project in Laos for the Monsoon Wind, ACEN told its shareholders in a disclosure last April. Monsoon Wind will construct, own and operate a 600-megawatt (MW) wind power plant. The electricity will be sold to Vietnam, making it the first cross-border wind project in Southeast Asia (SEA).

“As far as the Philippines’ support for Laos ’ sustainable future and resilient economy is concerned, there is no better sign of the way ahead than the new facets of cooperation emerging in renewable energy and infrastructure. In fact, a Philippine company, ACEN Renewables, has taken a significant stake in the Monsoon Wind Power Project, which is the first wind power project in Laos and the first cross-border renewable energy project in Asia. This investment supports Laos’ Green Growth Strategy and Smooth Transition Strategy,” Manalo said in a speech before Lao Institute of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.

The wind power project will start commercial operations by the end of 2025 and is projected to be largest renewable