A ceremony for the project start-ups takes place in Yangquan city on June 5. [Photo/Yangquan Daily]

A ceremony for the start-up of a slew of projects worth over $1 billion took place in Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province on June 5, according to local officials.

They said the city's third batch of 37 projects with a total investment of 9.5 billion yuan ($1.34 billion) were started at the ceremony.

During the event, counties, districts and Yangquan Economic and Technological Development Zone in the city signed cooperation agreements with companies.

Yangquan Coal Industry Group also introduced its overall development plan for its aerogel science and technology innovation park to be constructed.

Lei Jiankun, mayor of Yangquan, addressed the ceremony and said that these projects -- especially the aerogel science and technology innovation park -- were of great significance to the city's high-quality economic transformation and development.

In the year to date, Yangquan city has seen 298 projects resume construction, including 144 new projects.