China on Saturday started the construction of its first cross-sea power grid connection project to link the grids of coastal Guangdong Province and the southernmost island province of Hainan.

The project will cross the Qiongzhou Strait, connecting Gangcheng transformer substation in Zhanjiang City of Guangdong and Fushan transformer substation in Chengmai County of Hainan with 500 kilovolts alternating current grid.

The investor, China Southern Power Grid Corporation, will build a 34.7-kilometer benthal cable and a 144-km trolley wire to connect the two grids, the longest power grid connection project in the world when completed.

The project with a transmission capacity of 600,000 kilowatts will cost 2.1 billion yuan (US$271 million) and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2009.

"Hainan power grid has long been isolated from the mainland grids. The project will make the five power grids in south China as a whole," said Yuan Maozhen, chairman of board of China Southern Power Grid.

"The power grids can transmit electricity to each other after the connection project is completed. It will improve Hainan power grid's safety and efficiency," Yuan said.

China Southern Power Grid, a state-owned power grid firm, covers the southern provinces of Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, providing electricity to 230 million people.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2007)