China's first key energy project joining coal mines, railways, power stations, and a port is expected to be completed by 2005, with over two-thirds of the main construction work already completed.

This undertaking, called the Shenhua Project, is for the purpose of developing the Shenfu Dongsheng Coalfield in northern Shaanxi Province, northwest China and the southern part of Inner Mongolia, the Baotou-Huanghua Railway, and Huanghua Port, according to a source with the Shenhua Group, which is in charge of the huge project.

The source said the 90-billion-yuan (10.8 billion US dollars) project is vital for energy development in central and western China.

The Shenfu Dongsheng Coalfield now has an annual production capacity of 16.8 million tons. The 172-km-long Baotou-Shenmu Rail route and the 269-km Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway line have already been completed.

The Shuozhou-Huanghua Railway will link up with the Beijing-Kowloon Railway by the end of this year, and go on to Huanghua Port by 2002.

Work at Huanghua Port is also going smoothly and, by 2002, the port will have four 35,000-ton deep-water berths capable of handling 30 million tons of cargo annually.

By 2005, the Shenhua Project's annual coal production and shipping capacity will reach 50 million tons, according to the Shenhua Group source. (Xinhua)