253 projects worth 300b start construction in Q1

Construction began on a total of 253 key projects worth over 300 billion yuan ($44.7 billion) across Fujian in the first quarter of this year, local authorities said.

According to the Fujian provincial development and reform commission, the projects are evenly distributed in its nine major cities. Fourteen have landed in Pingtan, a comprehensive pilot zone administered by the province.

One hundred and eighty of the projects are key industrial ones, and have accumulative investment of 94.5 billion yuan. They include the mountain bike racing track construction project situated in Minqing county of Fuzhou. With an investment of 4.8 billion yuan, the project will move forward in three phases.

JD digital economic industrial park, located in Xianyou county, is a significant project in Putian. The park will include a big data center, a digital economy demonstration pavilion, a 15,000-square-meter e-commerce park and a global arts and crafts exhibition trading service platform, all at a cost of 4.6 billion yuan.

The auto battery factory invested by CATL, a world-leading battery manufacturer, is another highlight. Situated in Xiapu county of Ningde with an investment of 4.4 billion yuan, it is expected to have a total capacity of 2, 000 megawatts.

In addition to industrial projects, there are a few focusing on infrastructure construction and people's livelihood enhancement.

According to the commission, the infrastructure projects are mainly focused on environmental conservation, pollution control and restoration of cultural site and relics.