Under the cross-border iron tower on the southern border of Yunnan, the last clean power transmission was completed, and the cumulative power transmission of the China Laos 500 kV interconnection project officially crossed the 1 billion kilowatt hour mark. This cross-border green power channel, which will be put into operation in April 2026, is transforming the wind, solar and hydropower resources in the Lancang Mekong region into tangible cross-border energy cooperation dividends.

The two-way mutual aid mechanism continues to release channel efficiency

This cross-border communication channel, with a total length of 177.5 kilometers, has increased the two-way power mutual aid capacity between China and Laos from 50000 kilowatts to 1.5 million kilowatts after its operation, which is 30 times the original scale. On the first day of the project's operation, photovoltaic power from the clean energy base in northern Laos was sent to Yunnan, achieving the first access of overseas new energy projects to the Chinese electricity market. In August of this year, surplus hydropower from Laos was transported to the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area through this channel, taking the cross regional optimization and allocation of clean energy to a new level.

Based on the previously signed cross-border dispatch agreement, China and Laos have established a mature mechanism for surplus and shortage mutual assistance. During the rainy season, Laos' surplus hydropower can be sent for consumption, while during the dry season, China will provide reverse power supply to alleviate the flood control pressure on Laos' power stations during the flood season and provide stable green power supply for the southern region of China. The channel has maintained zero safety accidents since its operation, and the cross-border transmission availability rate has remained above 99.7%.

The model effect of energy cooperation in the Lancang Mekong region is evident

Based on the current cumulative scale of 1 billion kilowatt hours of green power transmission, the project has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by over 800000 tons, equivalent to the carbon sequestration effect of planting nearly 22 million trees. Previously, both parties had jointly formulated the first standardized technical standards for transmission operation and inspection in Laos, completed training for multiple batches of local operation and maintenance technicians, and extended cross-border power cooperation from hardware channels to technical standards and talent cultivation.

Currently, both China and Laos are continuously optimizing the cross-border operation and maintenance of power grid joint dispatch, market-oriented trading, and emergency support mechanisms, and steadily expanding the scale of green power transmission. The mature operation of this channel also provides replicable practical examples for cross-border power interconnection among other countries in the Lancang Mekong region, promoting the coordinated development of regional clean energy towards a more pragmatic stage. Keywords: kV engineering, ultra-high voltage

The group of iron towers along the border stands quietly, and every clean electricity flowing across the border is a solid energy footnote for the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Laos.Editor/Cheng Liting