The Nam Tha River Hydropower Station in Laos delivered electricity to Southwest China's Yunnan Province on Monday, marking the first two-way transmission in 12 years since the China-Laos electricity connection in a new chapter of bilateral cooperation between China and Laos.

To help Laos address the problem of redundant power supply in the rainy season, the China Southern Power Grid signed a cooperation agreement with Electricite du Laos (EDL) in March this year, highlighting the establishment of interconnection of the electricity grid in the Lancang-Mekong Region in a move to set up a shared electricity market. This laid the foundation for the two-way power trade between China and Laos.

Photo taken on March 19, 2019 shows the Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Plant in Bokeo province in northern Laos. Photo: Xinhua

According to the arrangement, China and Laos agreed to send surplus hydropower from the Nam Tha River Hydropower Station to Yunnan for consumption during the rainy season, while China will supplement power to the undersupplied areas in northern Laos during the dry season.

The transmission of electricity relies on the existing 115 kilovolt (kV) line, made possible with joint investment by China and Laos, which has been operating for 12 years.

The implementation of the 115 kV two-way power trade between both sides will provide a practical reference for the subsequent 500 kV China-Laos network project, which will help realize the power interconnection of China and Laos and create a new opportunity for win-win cooperation.