China is planning to finish construction of eight trans-regional ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission lines by 2017, part of its effort to combat air pollution by transmitting more electricity from resource-rich western regions to economic hubs on the eastern coast, sources reported.

Preliminary work has been started on the 12 trans-regional UHV power transmission lines recently approved by the National Energy Administration (NEA), the Securities Times reported on June 5.

In a bid to hasten construction of these transmission lines, the NEA has signed agreement with power transmission duopoly the State Grid Corporation of China and China Southern Power Grid, respectively, the report said.

The agreement calls for the two grid operators to establish clear construction schedules and ensure the work completion on time, while the NEA vows to speed up approval procedures and coordinate with local government agencies.

In early May, Mengdong Electric Power completed initial work on the Inner Mongolia section of a 1,000 kV UHV power transmission line linking Inner Mongolia’s Xinlingol League to Jinan in Shandong, passing through Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin , said the report.