Beijing (TDI): The China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline has emerged as a vital artery for clean energy, delivering over 500 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China since its commissioning in 2009.
The pipeline is managed by the West Pipeline Company of the Chinese PipeChina Corporation.
A key component of the pipeline is the Khorgos gas compressor station, which acts as the primary entry point for Central Asian gas into China.
Referred to as the “head station” and the “heart” of China’s second and third West-to-East Gas Pipelines, Khorgos has maintained safe and reliable operations for more than 5,000 days.
With an operating pressure of 12 megapascals, the pipeline moves over 2,000 cubic meters of gas every second, with a maximum capacity of 160 million cubic meters daily.
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The total volume of natural gas transported so far—522.5 billion cubic meters—has replaced 696 million tons of standard coal, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
According to official figures, the pipeline has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 764 million tons, sulfur dioxide by 25 million tons, dust by 379 million tons, and nitrogen oxides by 6.27 million tons, underscoring its environmental impact.
Support to China’s Green Initiatives
In addition to clean energy delivery, the Khorgos station supports China’s green initiatives with an electricity generation project powered by waste heat from gas-fired compressors.
This innovation has enabled the station to achieve zero direct emissions for large transmission facilities, generating over 65 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Stretching 1,833 kilometers, the pipeline traverses Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan before entering China at the Khorgos border.
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With a design capacity of 60 billion cubic meters per year, it supplies natural gas to over 500 million people across 27 provincial regions and Hong Kong.
Since its inception, the pipeline has played a pivotal role in China’s clean energy transition and strengthened energy cooperation between Central Asia and China.
