Power grid reconstruction completed in SW China's quake zone

The State Grid, China's leading power grid operator, said Wednesday that it had completed the reconstruction of power facilities in three of China's western provinces worst hit by an earthquake three years ago.

The company invested 14.7 billion yuan (2.26 billion U.S. dollars) to reconstruct power facilities in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces over the past three years, it said.

The devastating quake, centered in Wenchuan County in Sichuan on May 12, 2008, left 87,000 people dead or missing and millions of others without homes.

Reconstruction of power facilities and electric substations in the Sichuan quake zone cost 14 billion yuan, according to the State Grid.

"The power supply capacity, electrical network structure and technical equipment in those regions were all restored to pre-quake levels, some even better than they were previously," it said.

The company has established an emergency system to ensure communication and power supplies during natural disasters, largely as a result of the damage done by the Wenchuan earthquake, the State Grid said.

The company currently operates 14 back-up power distribution centers capable of supplying up to 320,000 kilowatts (kw) of power, enough to supply a medium-sized city, according to the State Grid.

The company aims to increase its cross-regional power transmission capacity to 250 million kw by 2015 in order to better meet power demands during possible future disasters, it said.

Source:Xinhua

	Weekly review     May 05   Fight against terrorism should strike at roots   April 29   'Human rights overriding sovereignty' only a mask of hegemony May 04   Human rights dialogues need mutual understanding May 03   Highlights of China's sixth national census results May 07   The week in pictures May 03   Expats seeking opportunities in China May 04   Some Chinese colleges face decreasing enrollment, struggle to survive May 05   French leader: China's peaceful rise puts world at ease April 29   Ten most valuable cultural relics displayed at Xi'an exposition park May 03   US kills Bin Laden, ending 10-year manhunt