HANOI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam bought 283 million kwh of electricity from China in the first half of this year to serve six of its northern provinces, local newspaper Vietnam Economic Times reported Monday.

Vietnam is to annually import 1.1-1.3 billion kwh of electricity at 220-kv voltage from China between 2007 and 2010, under contracts already signed by the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and a Chinese electricity firm named China Southern Power Grid, the paper quoted sources from the state-owned cooperation EVN.

Vietnam is now accelerating construction of transmission lines and transformer stations for the purchase of the commodity from China, said the EVN.

Vietnam's electricity demand is forecast to annually grow 15-16percent until 2010, according to the country's Industry Ministry.

(Source: SINA)