China’s strategic natural gas pipeline across Burma from the port of Kyaukpyu opened last week.
The pipeline is expected to carry 12 billion cubic metres of gas a year to China’s western heartland provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan.
There are hopes that the 4,250-kilometre pipeline will contribute to the improvement of air quality.
At the moment, for example, 90% of factories in Guizhou province rely on coal for power. The pipeline, which will be twinned with an oil pipeline, is an important element in China’s hunt for energy security.
