The power-supply project costing one billion yuan financed by the Power Company of west China's Qinghai Province has benefited more than 200,000 Tibetan farmers and herdsmen so far this year.

The project is considered a major measure taken by the State Grid of China to implement the strategy of making electricity accessible to every household. With an investment of 1.07 billion yuan, it was launched in July 2006, according to Wei Haiping, deputy general manager of the Qinghai Provincial Power Company.

The project involved the construction of two substations at 110kv, the erection of a transmission line of 215 km, construction of six substations at 35kv, the erection of a line of 178km.

Wei said that because of the harsh natural conditions in the agricultural and pasturing areas and herdsmen's scattered living, the project involved a high cost, with the average cost of each household hitting 30,000 yuan or 40,000 to 50000 yan in the remote areas.

"As far as enterprise operation is concerned, our investment will definitely lose money. Yet the project is related directly to people's livelihood and is intended to improve the farmer and herdsmen's living conditions. As a state-owned enterprise, our company has been performing our social duties," said Liu Chunxin, director of the Agricultural Power Department of the Qinghai Provincial Power Company.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2009)