On August 27, 2025, the China-Laos Power Standards Cooperation Committee was officially established at the 2025 ASEAN-oriented Standardization Cooperation Forum held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a significant step in institutionalizing standardization collaboration between the two countries. As the first intergovernmental standardization body in China’s power sector, it is expected to provide new momentum for grid interconnection and energy cooperation between the two sides. The launch event was attended by representatives from Laos’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the National Energy Administration (NEA), the China Electricity Council (CEC), China Southern Power Grid (CSG), and Electricite Du Laos (EDL).

The Chinese secretariat of the newly established China-Laos Power Standards Cooperation Committee will be hosted by China Southern Power Grid Company. The committee is designed to pool resources from power enterprises of both nations to drive practical cooperation in four key areas:

  • First, it will create a platform for mutually beneficial collaboration. This involves enabling joint research, development, and implementation of standards by committee members to elevate the standardization of power technology and equipment between the two countries.
  • Second, it will deepen the alignment and mutual recognition of standard systems. Efforts will focus on formulating and revising key standards, accelerating mutual recognition in critical fields such as renewable energy grid integration, operation and maintenance, power transmission and transformation equipment, and real-time power flow simulation. This will provide the necessary standardization foundation for two-way electricity trading.
  • Third, the committee aims to enhance the quality of standard development. This will be achieved by establishing joint expert working groups to conduct needs analysis and draft new standards, with the goal of publishing a suite of technical standards that will lead regional advancements in power equipment, engineering construction, grid operation, and power supply services.
  • Finally, it will strengthen standardization capacity building. Initiatives under consideration include establishing joint research laboratories, developing pilot projects for standard implementation, and organizing promotional campaigns to enhance the overall standardization capabilities of both parties.

Following the inauguration was the first plenary session of the committee, during which Members reviewed and adopted the Charter of the China-Laos Power Standards Cooperation Committee and the Rules of Procedure for the Secretariat, formalizing its organizational structure and operational mechanisms. Meanwhile, the meeting launched the development of seven priority standards, including:

  • Basic Terminology for Lao Power Engineering
  • Technical Guidelines for Lightning Protection of Overhead Transmission Lines in Laos
  • Technical Guidelines for Cross-Border Power Grid Interconnection in Laos
  • Technical Guidelines for Dispatching Automation Systems in Laos
  • Guidelines for Reliability Evaluation Indicators of Power Transmission and Transformation Facilities in Laos
  • Specifications for Monitoring Information and Alarm Settings of Dispatching Automation Master Stations in Laos

The development of these initial standards will be closely tied to key projects, including the 500kV China-Laos grid interconnection, the aid-funded project for Laos’s dispatching automation system, and initiatives to enhance power supply reliability in Laos. This project-driven approach to standardization is designed to help Laotian power enterprises unify technical terminology, standardize the construction of cross-border interconnection projects, improve the level of dispatching automation, and enhance power supply reliability. Ultimately, it aims to provide crucial technical support for the sustainable development of Laos’s power industry.

Moving forward, under the guidance of the competent authorities of both China and Laos, CSG will fully execute its duties as the secretariat. Leveraging its technical expertise, talent pool, and brand strength, the secretariat will pool top technical resources from the power sectors of both nations to organize and assist Chinese and Laotian power enterprises and research institutions in developing standards and facilitating academic exchange. A key priority will be to accelerate the batch-base standard establishment and development, using high-quality standardization to lead the high-quality development of the China-Laos power sector.

 

Original source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-qP4OHDUvubcwkUajegozA