The Lao PDR National Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Roadmap was signed and approved this month by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM). It aims to deliver ‘sustainable and just energy transitions’ and ‘opportunities for decarbonized hydrogen and ammonia.” The effort was led by the Mekong Region Futures Institute (MERFI) and supported by the Lao-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership (LASEP).
It is a response to a situation in which Lao exports surplus electricity generated by hydropower but also imports expensive chemical nitrogenous fertiliser that could be produced by this excess electricity.
CCG is celebrating because, in a small way, we were involved in helping to make this happen. Vignesh Sridharan of CCG and Imperial College explains more.
This road map sets out how a country could approach green hydrogen and ammonia production, especially for a country rich in hydropower resources like Lao PDR. It’s a real milestone because Lao is one of the first, if not the first, countries in the least developed country (LDC) group to put out a road map like this.
His Excellency Phoxay Sayasone, Minister of Energy and Mines for Lao PDR, says in the introduction to the Roadmap:
“This Roadmap outlines a strategic framework that encompasses renewable hydrogen and ammonia production, storage, distribution and utilization. It delineates actionable steps to stimulate investment, foster innovation and build the necessary skills and infrastructure to support the widespread adoption of these technologies. Moreover, it underscores our commitment to inclusive growth, ensuring that energy transitions benefit all of society.
Crucially, this Roadmap is not merely a theoretical exercise but a pragmatic call for action. It sets ambitious yet achievable targets for scaling up hydrogen and ammonia production capacity, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency. It also identifies policy interventions, regulatory reforms and responsibilities to create an enabling environment for private sector participation and investment”
So, the stage is set for potential investors to look at Lao with a view to funding hydrogen and ammonia production and CCG played a part in getting to this stage by contributing its modelling expertise. CCG’s contribution is available in part 3.5 of the report which was led and compiled by Dr John Ward from MERFI.
The roadmap involved detailed participatory systems mapping with stakeholders from various Lao institutions. Dr Ward spearheaded this effort with the support of a technical working group. Lao-CCG coordinators Dr Sounthisack Phommachanh and Dr Khamphone Nanthavong from the National University of Laos (NUOL), and Mr Latsayakone Pholsena and Mr Vilaboun Chittanousone, members of the CCG-Lao PDR OSeMOSYS core modelling group and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), were part of this working group.
Future Publications
Two CCG-supported research publications that complement the roadmap in Lao PDR are under review in academic journals. The first details the modelling methodology that supported the roadmap development. Preprint available here. The second explores the levelized cost of green hydrogen production in Lao PDR in a geospatially explicit manner. Preprint available here. You can read the Roadmap here.
