With an annual transmission capacity of about 3 billion kWh, the project will not only support local livelihoods and industrial development but also provide a stable energy foundation for Laos' digital ambitions, said Jiang Zhida, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

Reliable electricity supply will help strengthen computing capacity and artificial intelligence development, supporting Laos' green and digital transformation, Jiang said.

The project, a joint investment venture by China Southern Power Grid and Electricite du Laos Transmission Company, links Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces in Laos with Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province. It includes a 145-kilometer section in China and a 32.5-km section in Laos, spanning 177.5 km in total length.