KUNMING, June 30 -- Construction on the Chinese section of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project officially commenced on Monday. This is another major project in bilateral cooperation following the construction and operations of the China-Laos Railway.

The Chinese section of the new project consists of a 145-km, 500-kV transmission line stretching from the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province to Laos, as well as the expansion of a 500-kV transformer substation in the prefecture, according to the Yunnan Power Grid Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of the China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. (CSG).

The project is a key initiative outlined in an action plan to build a China-Laos community with a shared future, with completion and the launch of operations scheduled for 2026.

Once operational, the project is expected to enable a two-way mutual assistance power capacity of 1.5 million kW and to facilitate the transmission of approximately 3 billion kWh of clean electricity.

Construction on the project's Lao section began on Feb. 26, with a launch ceremony held in Vientiane.

The Lao section is being developed by Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited, while the Chinese section is being managed by the CSG.