In the early hours of the morning, the stable operation indicator lights of the transmission tower on the China Mongolia border were lit up. At 0:32 on September 16, 2026, the 220 kV Tawang Tolgoi substation in Mongolia was successfully connected to the Inner Mongolia power grid. The power grids of China and Mongolia officially completed a key leap from point-to-point dedicated line supply to cross-border interconnection between the two countries.

Cross border networking project officially put into operation

The starting point of this cross-border transmission line is located in Urad Middle Banner, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia. It delivers stable power from the Inner Mongolia power grid to the South Gobi Province of Mongolia through a 220 kV Guoao double circuit line. The project was launched in February 2023 after Mongolia proposed its intention to cooperate on power supply in the southern region. The two sides have established a cross-border collaborative mechanism and have gone through multiple stages of hard work to promote construction.

The project will achieve the first phase of power transmission in July 2026, complete the power transmission of two substations in early September, and fully connect and put into operation on September 16th. During the construction period, both parties have completed a total of 57 key tasks in three major stages, overcome core technical difficulties in cross-border power grid interconnection, and promote the mutual recognition of 8 technical standards and 15 operational processes between China and Mongolia.

The formation of cross-border green power channels

Relying on the geographical advantages of Inner Mongolia connecting eight provinces internally and Russia and Mongolia externally, Inner Mongolia Power Group has currently built nine cross-border transmission lines covering 10 kV to 220 kV and radiating to five ports, forming a multi-level cross-border power supply network. After the project is put into operation, large-scale industrial and mining projects such as the Chagansuburiga copper molybdenum mine and Tawang Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia, as well as local urban and rural residents' electricity consumption, will receive stable power guarantee.

Relying on the cross-border green power cooperation mechanism, the proportion of green power transmitted from Inner Mongolia to Mongolia by the Inner Mongolia power grid will exceed 40%. This cross-border power grid is not only a power transmission channel, but also a new link for green energy interconnection between China and Mongolia. Keywords: Cross border transmission lines, interconnectivity

The transmission lines along the border have started to continuously and stably deliver clean electricity, and a new page of energy cooperation between China and Mongolia is officially opened with this interconnection operation.Editor/Cheng Liting