7 Trillion Yuan Investment Implemented! Underground Pipe Network Included in the "Six Networks", 7

On the afternoon of March 6, the press conference on economic themes of the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress was held as scheduled. Zheng Shanjie, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), made a clear statement that this year will see the advancement of 109 major projects outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan, with a focus on the construction of the "Six Networks" and key sectors. The total investment scale for related initiatives throughout the year is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan. Among them, urban underground pipe networks, as a core component of the "Six Networks", have been officially incorporated into the key layout of the national modern infrastructure system, ushering in unprecedented policy dividends and market opportunities.

Core Positioning: Underground Pipe Networks Join the National Strategic Infrastructure Matrix

At this press conference, Minister Zheng Shanjie placed urban underground pipe networks alongside water networks, power grids, computing power networks and other facilities as part of the key construction scope of the "Six Networks". This marks that underground pipe networks have been upgraded from traditional "livelihood shortfall remediation projects" to strategic infrastructure supporting the development of new quality productive forces and ensuring the safe operation of cities.

As a core priority in the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the construction of underground pipe networks is deeply integrated with the 109 major projects under the 15th Five-Year Plan, serving as a key carrier for expanding effective investment. This move not only provides a targeted response to livelihood pain points such as urban waterlogging control and the renovation of aging pipe networks, but also constitutes an important measure in building a modern urban infrastructure system, which will fundamentally improve the urban production and living environment.

Solid Data: 700,000 km Renovation Plus 5 Trillion Yuan Investment Outline Core Targets for the 15th Five-Year Plan

Previously, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has clearly defined quantitative targets for the construction of underground pipe networks during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, drawing a clear blueprint for the development of the industry.

Construction and renovation scale: more than 700,000 kilometers, covering all types of underground pipe networks including water supply, drainage, gas, electric power and communications;

New investment demand: exceeding 5 trillion yuan, focusing on intelligent and green upgrading to drive the transformation from traditional pipe networks to smart pipe networks.

Combined with the annual total investment of 7 trillion yuan proposed at this press conference, underground pipe networks, as an important part of the "Six Networks", will continue to receive favorable funding allocation this year. Diverse funding channels, ranging from investment within the central government budget and treasury bond funds to special bond support, have been fully unlocked, with priority given to core projects such as the renewal of old pipe networks, integrated plant-network construction, and supporting pipe networks for waterlogging control.

Development Directions: Three Major Transformations Unlock New Paths for High-Quality Development of Underground Pipe Networks

With the implementation of policies and the availability of funds, urban underground pipe network construction is undergoing three major transformations from "addressing shortcomings" to "systematic upgrading", becoming a core indicator of industry development:

From "fragmented renovation" to "systematic coordination"

Moving away from the past patchwork model of single pipelines and local road sections, the focus has shifted to overall planning on a subdistrict basis. Integrated with urban renewal initiatives, the construction of an integrated "plant-network-river-station" system will be promoted to achieve coordinated development of water supply, drainage, sewage treatment and waterlogging control, addressing the industry’s problem of treating symptoms rather than root causes.

From "traditional infrastructure" to "smart empowerment"

The deep integration of "Artificial Intelligence Plus" with underground pipe networks has become a core highlight of the 15th Five-Year Plan construction. Technologies such as intelligent monitoring, digital twin, and IoT sensing will be widely applied, driving the shift of pipe network management from "manual inspection" to "intelligent early warning". The proportion of smart pipe network renovation will rise to over 30%, significantly improving the safe operation level of pipe networks.

From "government-led" to "diversified collaboration"

Driven by government investment guidance, the vitality of private investment will be fully stimulated. The new model of "area-based coordination + government-enterprise collaboration" will be fully promoted. Through franchising, PPP and other approaches, social capital will be attracted to participate in project construction and operation, achieving full life-cycle capital balance and shifting underground pipe network development from "external capital injection" to "independent revenue generation".

Industry Opportunities: As the 15th Five-Year Plan kicks off, the underground pipe network sector enters a golden window of development.

For the municipal engineering industry, this policy orientation has sent clear market signals:

Market space continues to expand:

The 700,000-kilometer renovation task and 5 trillion yuan investment will bring long-term orders to the entire industrial chain including pipe network design, construction, materials and intelligent operation and maintenance.

Technological upgrading is imminent:

Fields such as green pipes, intelligent monitoring equipment and digital twin platforms will become core competitive areas for enterprises.

Regional layout priorities are clear:

Key cities and central urban areas with large and dense populations will be the core regions for investment this year, focusing on projects under construction and those ready to start in the fourth quarter.

Underground pipe networks are the "blood vessels" and "nerves" of cities, relating to urban safety and people's well-being. Supported by the 7 trillion yuan investment and guided by the "Six Networks" strategy, the construction of underground pipe networks during the 15th Five-Year Plan period will surely promote a qualitative leap in China's urban infrastructure and lay a solid foundation for high-quality development.