Recently, the China Laos 500 kV interconnection project successfully completed the first cross-border bidirectional power transmission, achieving the first breakthrough in China's 500 kV AC ultra-high voltage power cross-border trade. This also means that the cross-border clean energy cooperation between China and Laos has officially bid farewell to the small-scale and low-voltage power interconnection mode, and entered a new stage of development of high-voltage and large-scale interconnection.

On April 20, 2026, the China Laos 500 kV interconnection project, which was included in the China Laos Community of Shared Future Action Plan, was officially completed and put into use. This project is the first 500 kV cross-border communication and networking line in China, and also the largest and highest transmission voltage level cross-border power grid infrastructure built by China and Laos so far.

The project starts from Oudomxay Province in Laos and ends in Yunnan Province, China. The total length of the transmission line is 177.5 kilometers, including 145 kilometers in China and 32.5 kilometers in Laos. The project is invested and constructed by Yunnan Power Grid Corporation of China Southern Power Grid and Laos National Transmission Grid Corporation respectively. It is another benchmark key project for China and Laos to jointly build the the Belt and Road after the China Laos Railway.

Since the project was put into operation, the mutual power supply capacity between China and Laos has increased from 50000 kilowatts to 1.5 million kilowatts, completely reversing the previous situation of low-voltage and small-scale power interconnection. The project can deliver approximately 3 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually, which can effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.5 million tons, with significant ecological benefits. Keywords: New energy news, green power transmission, cross-border power transmission

The smooth implementation of the China Laos 500 kV cross-border power trade and the completion of the green energy channel not only realized the leap forward upgrade of cross-border power infrastructure, but also provided reliable power support for the operation and maintenance of the China Laos railway and the hydropower and photovoltaic integrated energy projects in northern Laos. Moreover, with the cross-border power channel as the link, we deepened China Laos economic and trade cooperation, promoted the coordinated development of the industries of the two countries, and effectively improved the production and living conditions of the people along the line.Editor/Gong Ziwei