On June 30, construction officially began on the Chinese section of the 500-kV interconnection project between China and Laos. The project includes a 145-km 500-kV transmission line extending from Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province to the Laotian border, along with the expansion and upgrade of the 500-kV Xishuangbanna substation.
The China-Laos interconnection project is divided into two parts: the Laotian section and the Chinese section. The Laotian section is being developed by Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), while the Chinese section is led by CSG. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Laotian section was held on February 26 in Vientiane. That segment includes the construction of a new 500-kV substation and a 183.5-km cross-border transmission line circuit, and plans to build two 230-kV line circuits connecting to the northern Laos power grid.
This interconnection project is another landmark initiative in deepening China-Laos energy cooperation, following the successful operation of the China-Laos Railway. Scheduled for completion in 2026, the project is expected to deliver an interconnection capacity of 1.5 million kW, enabling the annual transmission of approximately 3 billion kWh of clean electricity. It will significantly strengthen bilateral power connectivity and further enhance the strategic energy partnership between the two countries.
