YINCHUAN, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A series of new projects have been launched in a key national development zone in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, local authorities said Monday.

The administration committee of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base said that a total of 21 projects, with an investment of 16 billion yuan (2.3 billion U.S. dollars), had started by August 31.

The new projects cover various fields including fine chemicals, new materials, comprehensive utilization of resources, and manufacturing-related services.

The construction of the base began in 2003, with an aim to become a national major large-scale coal production base and a coal-to-chemical industry base. It is also a major base for the "West-to-East Electricity Transmission" project.

Covering an area of nearly 3,500 square kilometers, the base is home to abundant resources such as coal and water. The proved coal reserves in the base stood at 33.1 billion tonnes, accounting for 85 percent of the total proved coal reserves in the region.

So far, the base has attracted more than 130 enterprises. The gross industrial output value reached 117 billion yuan in 2017.