INFRASTRUCTURE MATTERS: The Enshi-Qianjiang Highway is under construction. The highway connects Enshi in Hubei Province to Qianjiang in Chongqing Municipality. It will be completed by 2014 (YANG SHUNPI)

Coal Gasification

A large coal gasification project will be built in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said the region's development and reform commission on October 6.

The demonstration project in Zhundong area, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, will be the country's largest with a designed capacity of 30 billion cubic meters annually.

With a total investment of 183 billion yuan ($29.7 billion), the project will be jointly built by Sinopec, Huaneng Xinjiang Energy Development Co. Ltd. and some other energy companies in Xinjiang and east China's Zhejiang Province.

The industrial project will need 90 million tons of coal annually. It will provide at least 18,000 jobs.

The coal gas will be transported to Zhejiang and south China's Guangdong Province in the south through pipelines.

The Zhundong area has estimated coal reserves of 390 billion tons and proven reserves of 213.6 billion tons and is the largest coalfield in China.

Outsourcing Base

A newly approved bonded area in southwest China's Guizhou Province aims to build the country's largest outsourcing base for aero-engines.

Construction of a 40,000-square-meter workshop has begun for a joint venture between AVIC International Holding Corp. and AVIC Liyang Aero-Engine Co. Ltd.

With an investment of $100 million, the project will provide aero parts for Boeing and Airbus and realize imports and exports of $200 million in 2015, according to headquarters in the capital Guizhou.

Some production lines belonging to AVIC Liyang Aero-Engine Co. Ltd.'s aviation engine industry base in a hi-tech zone in Guiyang have begun operations. Liyang Aero-Engine will invest 4 billion yuan ($654 million) in the base.

The State Council in September approved the establishment of the comprehensive bonded zone in Guiyang with an area of over 3 square km. It will be put into operation in September next year.