HANOI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- New hydropower plants have been planned in Huaphan province of Laos to provide electricity for domestic demand as well as for neighboring Vietnam, the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.

    Huaphan province's electricity is currently provided by small local hydropower plants and about two megawatts is imported from Vietnam annually. Only 30 percent of households in the province can have access to electricity, said provincial Energy and Mines Department Manager Bouasone Thammaly.

    "Once the province can generate enough electricity to satisfy local demand, it will cut energy imports from Vietnam and even supply electricity to Vietnam by 2020," said Bouasone.

    It is expected major plants will have an installed generation capacity of 600 to 800 megawatts and smaller facilities will be capable of generating seven to eight megawatts. Project investors are expected to complete all preparation studies by 2010, said Bouasone.

    Laos has the potential to generate about 26,500 megawatts from hydro sources, excluding the mainstream Mekong River. Less than two percent of the country's hydropower potential has been developed over the past 30 years, according to the Energy Promotion and Development Department of Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines.