BEIJING -- A key section of China's west-to-east gas transmission project began operation Thursday, marking another step in optimizing the country's gas resource allocation and enhancing energy security.

The Gansu-Ningxia section of the pipeline running from Turpan in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Zhongwei in Ningxia Hui autonomous region officially went into operation, significantly boosting cross-regional natural gas distribution capabilities, said PipeChina, the construction company.

The pipeline from Turpan to Zhongwei will provide an annual natural gas transmission capacity of 15 billion cubic meters, equivalent to the energy provided by over 27 million tonnes of standard coal, effectively cutting carbon emissions by approximately 50 million tonnes annually.

The Turpan-Zhongwei section is part of the country's fourth west-to-east gas transmission pipeline. Together with other three transmission pipelines, the west-to-east gas transmission project aims to optimize China's energy resource allocation, channeling abundant energy resources from western production areas to high-demand eastern markets.