Two Chinese technicians inspect a compressor station of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline in Qinhuangdao city, North China's Hebei Province, on May 1, 2024. Photo: VCG

Construction has been completed on the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline, a vital energy corridor for China, and the facility is in its final commissioning phase, the National Oil and Gas Pipeline Network Group (PipeChina), the builder of the project, said on Monday as reported by CCTV.

Once fully operational, the pipeline will supply 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to Northeast China, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the Yangtze River Delta. This will be sufficient to meet the annual needs of 130 million urban households, easing natural gas supply constraints in these regions, according to the CCTV report.

The pipeline spans 5,111 kilometers, including 3,371 kilometers of newly built sections. It starts in Heihe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, and extends to Shanghai.

As an essential energy route for eastern China, the gas pipeline is set to play a vital role in securing regional natural gas supply, supporting the development of a clean, low-carbon and efficient energy system, and promoting the region's high-quality economic and social development, analysts said.

This new achievement reflected the deepened energy connectivity and economic cooperation between China and Russia, Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

"In 2020, the construction of the south section of the pipeline was initiated, and we accelerated construction, completing the south section seven months ahead of schedule and ensuring the smooth completion of the whole project," said Cui Zong, a project leader from PipeChina, as quoted by CCTV.

The project is a critical component of China's four strategic oil and gas corridors, divided into the northern, middle and southern sections. The recently completed part connects Nantong to Luzhi in East China's Jiangsu Province, representing the final stage of construction of the pipeline, according to CCTV. 

The section linking Heihe and Taixing in East China's Jiangsu Province in the southern part of the project has gradually been commissioned, with the entire southern part poised to be fully operational by the end of this year, per the CCTV report. 

The pipeline has safely and steadily transported more than 78 billion cubic meters of natural gas as of now.

"Natural gas plays a crucial role in China's energy transition due to its eco-friendly nature, so the country is vigorously pushing the application of natural gas in its supply chains and industrial operations," Zhang noted, pointing to the pipeline's crucial role in China's energy supply diversification and green energy transition.

Given China's stable economic growth and steady energy demand, this project will allow Russia to expand its natural gas supply to the vast and dynamic Chinese market, helping foster sustainable regional growth, said Zhang.

In May, the two heads of state reached an important consensus during a meeting to consolidate China-Russia strategic energy cooperation and achieve high-level development to ensure both sides' economic and energy security, and better benefit their people, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

According to Russian energy giant Gazprom's report, the supply of Russian natural gas to China surged by 43 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, Sputnik News Agency reported in September.