China's longest across-strait high-capacity cables will be laid across Qiongzhou Strait. It will connect Hainan electricity grid with south China's electricity grids which will be accommodating each other.

As learned from officials at industrial division of Hainan Development and Reform Department the Qiongzhou Strait submarine cables, which have a voltage of 500,000, is the key component of the project connecting South China and Hainan electricity grids. It starts from Qiaotou town in Chengmai of Hainan Province and extends north to Jiaowei in Xuwen of Guangdong Province. The total length is 34.7 kilometers covering the 31-kilometer Qiongzhou Strait. Total investment is about 900 million yuan. The feasibility research report of the project has recently passed review.

As learned Italy, Norway and Japan are more technologically advanced in laying submarine cables. The Qiongzhou Strait submarine cables project will be built through international bidding.

The RMB1.7 billion-budget connection project will build a 500kv line linking Guangdong's Zhanjiang and Hainan's Chengmai, with Haikou (Chengmai)'s 500kv transformer substation in Hainan and the planned Zhanjiang's 500kv transformer substation in Guangdong as its connecting points. The connecting line will comprise overhead transmission line and submarine cables totaling 178.7 kilometers in length.

As for now Hainan electricity grid is still an isolated grid with an installed capacity 2.8 percent that of South China electricity grids. Once the project is finished it will improve the investment environment of Hainan, promote its economic development and reinforce the defense of South China Sea.

(People's Daily February 19, 2004)