Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Station Successfully Sends Power to China

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Dali, Yunnan Province, China (Photo by Andawn F).
Dali, Yunnan Province, China (Photo by Andawn F).

China and Laos have attained two-way transmission of power for the first time since a grid link project between the two countries was initiated 12 years ago.

Chinese state media reported that the Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Station in northern Laos on Monday provided electricity to Yunnan Province in Southwest China.

China Southern Power Grid (CSG) and Electricite du Laos (EDL) signed a 115 kV power exchange agreement in March in order to help use the surplus hydropower in Laos during the wet season.

China and Laos have agreed to send additional hydropower from Laos to Yunnan province during the rainy season, while CSG will supplement the power supply in northern Laos during the dry season.

Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Station
The Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Station located within the Nam Tha River, a left-bank branch of the Mekong River north of Laos in Bokeo Province.

The two neighboring nations signed the power exchange agreement in March under the 2nd Laos-China Energy Cooperation Committee Meeting between the Ministry of Energy and Mines and China’s National Energy Administration.

Laos is also expected to begin supplying power to Singapore under the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) after a power purchase agreement was signed in Vientiane Capital on Friday.