Workers take a rest at the construction site of the shipping lane and power generating project in Qianwei, Sichuan province, on Friday. [Photo by Huang Zhiling/chinadaily.com.cn]

Construction of a shipping lane and power generating project kicked off in Qianwei, a county under the administration of Leshan in Sichuan province, on Friday, marking the beginning of the nearly 48-billion-yuan ($74 billion) Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project.

The Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project consists of six parts including the Laomukong, Dongfengyan, Qianwei and Longxikou shipping lane and power generating projects in Leshan, harnessing of the shipping lane from Longxikou to Hejiangmen in Yibin, Sichuan, and construction of the Leshan Port.

Located at a site about 1.5 kilometers upstream from the Qianwei Bridge, the shipping lane and power generating project which started in Qianwei on Friday will be finished in 2020.

"Its navigation dock will open to ships and its first generating unit will start generating electricity in December 2019," said Gong Deqin, chef of the headquarters for the construction of the Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project.

The Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project is important to accelerated development of inland river transportation in Sichuan.

"After the project is completed, the 162-kilometer-long shipping lane from Leshan to Yibin in Sichuan will ensure the passage of 1,000 ton ships all the year round and 3,000 to 5,000-ton ships in the wet season," Gong said.

With its origin in Gansu province, the Minjiang River runs 735 kilometers before entering the Yangtze River in Yibin.

"Sichuan has 6,000 kilometers of expressways and 17 airports. But its water transportation lacks behind," said Peng Lin, chief of the Sichuan provincial department of transportation.

Each year, its rivers can ensure the passage of 2,000 ton ships for only six months, he said.

Construction of the Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project is expected to help Sichuan integrate in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Sichuan is a major producer of heavy equipment in China. Users of the equipment are scattered along the Yangtze River.

"Upon completion of the Minjiang River shipping lane and power generating project, equipment from Sichuan will be transported to users at much lower costs than other means of transportation," Peng said.