China starts construction of cross-regional power transmission project

BEIJING -- China on Sunday commenced the construction of an ultra-high voltage direct current transmission line linking two provincial-level regions, according to the State Grid Corporation of China.

Stretching a total of 1,634 km, the electricity transmission project starts in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region and ends in the central province of Hunan. It passes through six provincial-level regions across the country.

The project has a rated voltage of ±800 kV and a rated transmission capacity of 8 million kilowatts, with a total investment of 28.1 billion yuan (about $3.95 billion), said the company. Once completed, this transmission line is estimated to supply electricity of over 36 billion kWh per year to Hunan, a province with a strong demand for power to sustain its economic growth, according to the company.

The project is part of a national plan unveiled last year to develop clean energy, including wind and photovoltaic power, in China's deserts and barren lands, which are mostly located in the northwest parts of the country.

China has announced that it will peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.