China is planning to renovate 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) of aging gas pipelines this year after a series of fatal blasts.
The program will target pipelines with potential safety risks, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Wang Menghui said Thursday at a press conference.
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It follows several high-profile explosions as aging infrastructure tries to keep pace with rocketing growth for the cleaner burning fuel.
A total of 16 people were killed and another 10 injured last month after a gas pipeline leaked and exploded in Chongqing, in southwestern China.
Similar accidents occurred in Hohhot, Shenyang and Shiyan last year, prompting arrests and a blizzard of new safety checks.
Authorities are likely to tighten safety standards in the industry, leading to smaller gas utilities selling out to larger competitors with better safety records, Daiwa Capital Markets analyst Dennis Ip said last month.
Natural gas consumption more then tripled between 2011 and 2021 as China’s economy expanded and the government pushed to use the fuel instead of coal at factories and homes to help curb air pollution.
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