The NO.1 tower bases at all four bidding sections for the power-supply project along China-Laos railway were simultaneously cemented on March 18, signifying the full-scale construction of the power-grid project.

As a marked project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos railway will begin commissioning by March, 2021 and the power-supply grid will increase connectivity between the two countries. 

Following the BOT (build-operate-transfer) mode, the project is undertaken by China Southern Power Grid Yunnan International Co., Ltd. (YNIC) and Electricite Du Laos (EDL).

Stretching from Luang Namtha in north Laos to the capital of Vientiane in the south, the project involves 635 towers, 11 substations, and 20 circuits of 115kV transmission lines with a total length of 257.5 km. 

“We will apply to the project our experience in building the 230kV power grid project in north Laos, adopting the China Southern Power Grid (CSG) standards and technologies.” Qinhua, a project staff member with the YNIC, said. 

Now 102 Chinese and 47 Laotian staff members are working on the sites, with construction materials already in place. During work intervals, they also carried out health drill the prevailing COVID-19 for timely completion of the power-grid project. 

Reporting by Wang Huan (Yunnan Daily) and Qin Hua; trans-editing by Wang Shixue