State Grid to spend billions on new lines
19 January 2007
One of the leading Chinese power transmission companies, State Grid, plans to build a series of 2,000-kilometer "ultra high voltage" lines to carry electricity across the country, the Financial Times reported. The lines would connect coal mining centers or hydro power stations in southwest China to coastal areas around Shanghai and Guangzhou. The company plans massive investments to upgrade the country's electrical infrastructure, with US$26 billion to be spent this year alone. China is well poised to become the top market in the world for energy transmission technology, given the growing demand for power and long distances between production and consumption center. The country is adding 80 gigawatts of power every year, the newspaper reported, equivalent to the entire capacity of the UK.