On the morning of December 14, deputies to the 10th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress inspected the progress and safety of Guangzhou's natural gas project, which was undertaken by the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Urban Utilities and Landscaping (GMBUUL). The bureau's officials revealed that provincial authorities are considering building another natural gas project in Zhuhai.

GMBUUL is expected to switch all of the city's 740,000 household users of pipe-delivered coal gas to natural gas by the end of 2010. Under its arrangements, 20,000 households in the southeastern section of Haizhu District and another 20,000 households in Panyu will switch to natural gas by the end of 2006; 150,000 households in the northern section of Haizhu District will switch to natural gas in 2007; 200,000 households north of Huanshi Road in Fanchun area will complete the switching in 2008; 310,000 households will switch to natural gas in 2009; and the remaining households, numbering 30,000 to 40,000, will switch in 2010.

Editor: Yan