The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has clearly proposed to accelerate the planning and construction of new energy system and chart a path for achieving the "dual carbon" goal in the energy field. Constructing a new power system is the key to the transition to a new energy system.

1,000 kV Fuzhou-Xiamen UHV AC Transmission Project [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

In 2021, the State Grid Corporation of China designated Fujian as one of three provincial demonstration zones for new power system. Over the past two years, State Grid Fujian Electric Power has shouldered the responsibility of demonstration based on Fujian's unique advantages such as an excellent structure of power supply varieties and an advantageous foundation for green transformation. With the goal of building a provincial-level power grid with high-quality development, Fujian is committed to completing "three major constructions", namely a large hub of clean energy in the southeast, a large platform of high-energy distribution network, and a large ecosystem of "Digital Fujian Electric Power", and to playing "three leading roles", namely, leading clean development, leading safety and stability and leading efficiency and effectiveness. By accelerating the construction of a provincial demonstration zone for new power system with high standards, Fujian is actively turning its rich resources into development advantages.

An Interconnection Hub Supporting Efficient Utilization of Clean Energy

In the new power system, non-fossil energy sources such as water, wind, and solar energy will gradually become the main source of power. Unlike coal, which is easily transported over long distances, all these resources can only be converted into electricity nearby and then sent to the electric load center through power grid. This puts forward requirements for connecting power transmission channels across provinces and regions, supplementing the main grid within the province and improving power resource allocation capabilities.

Sufficient offshore wind resources ensure the supply of clean energy to Fujian, with theoretical reserves exceeding 120 million kilowatts. There are obvious advantages in building nuclear power plants along the coast, with an estimated feasible installed capacity of 33 million kilowatts. Located at the forefront of cross-strait integrated development and the intersection of coordinated development among multiple regions, Fujian has unique advantages in building new power system.

Based on Fujian's resources and location advantages, State Grid Fujian Electric Power is planning a large hub of clean energy in the southeast. At present, the company has built a 500-kilovolt UHV large ring network across the province, and has put into operation inter-provincial interconnection projects such as Zhejiang-Fujian High Voltage and Fujian-Guangdong Interconnection, laying a solid foundation for the next step of building a widely interconnected energy hub.

September 30 marks the first anniversary of the Fujian-Guangdong Interconnection. Over the past year, the project has over-fulfilled the power delivery plan by a cumulative transmission of more than 3.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, facilitating the two provinces to complement each other in electricity.  

On September 13, the 1,000 kV Fuzhou-Xiamen UHV AC transmission project was fully completed. The project is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this year. It is expected to increase the external power receiving capacity of Fujian Power Grid by 4 million kilowatts, facilitate the use of coastal clean energy to develop nuclear power, wind power, etc., and strengthen the power supply guarantee of Fujian Power Grid.

Clean electricity from Fujian lights up Zhejiang and Guangdong through the Fujian-Zhejiang and Fujian-Guangdong interconnection channels. State Grid Fujian Electric Power will further optimize and improve the province's backbone grid structure to ensure safe power supply with a highly adaptable "four vertical, three horizontal, and two coastal corridors" backbone grid divided according to levels and regions. It will also accelerate the construction of a strong transmission grid and a power hub that connects the Yangtze River Delta to the north, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to the south, the hinterland of central China to the west, and Taiwan to the east. By strengthening power support for surrounding load center areas, it is expected to serve a wider range of transition to clean energy.

In 2022, 4.94 million kilowatts of clean energy such as offshore wind power and nuclear power were newly installed in Fujian, accounting for 90% of the total newly installed capacity that year, achieving 100% consumption of clean energy. From January to June this year, the installed capacity and power generation of clean energy in Fujian have steadily exceeded half of the annual target, with clean energy power generation accounting for 55.3%.

At present, Fujian has formed an overall pattern in which clean energy contributes half of the total and all categories of power supplies are developed in a coordinated manner, with an examplary structure of power supply. According to the long-term plan, Fujian is expected to export 30 million kilowatts or 140 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, fully preparing for a large clean energy hub in the southeast. While accelerating the development of clean energy industry, Fujian will also help guarantee the safe power supply and clean development of surrounding provinces.

Meeting the Demand for High-quality Power with Advanced Distribution Networks

If we compare the main power grid to aorta, then the distribution grids which connect thousands of households are like capillaries.

When building a new power system, State Grid Fujian Electric Power has developed an advanced distribution network with "high reliability of power supply, high aggregation of sources and loads, high integration of information, and high quality of services", and upgraded the distribution network into an advanced energy allocation hub and energy service platform. A large number of emerging sources and loads such as distributed photovoltaics, new energy vehicles, and flexible loads are plug-and-play and flexibly interact to meet the needs of end users for personalized energy services, effectively promoting green production and consumption.

Xiamen, Fujian Province is a municipal demonstration zone for new power system. In this year, State Grid Fujian Electric Power has launched a total of 210 such projects in Xiamen to provide demonstration models for advanced distribution networks in urban areas.

As advanced distribution network in Xiamen begins to take shape, a stronger, smarter, interactive and green power grid will ensure 100% power supply for this well-developed, international, beautiful and modern city.

Without coal burning and factory buildings, the "virtual power plant" platform can be called as the "super brain" of smart grids. On June 7, Fujian's first "virtual power plant" platform went online for trial operation in Xiamen. Such a "virtual power plant" does not generate electricity, but integrates a large number of scattered and adjustable power resources in the power grid. During peak periods of grid power consumption, digital means can be used to uniformly dispatch and aggregate the excess power from distributed power sources and output it to the grid, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of the grid during peak periods.

Currently, the "virtual power plant" platform in Xiamen has aggregated approximately 400,000 kilowatts of adjustable resources from more than 600 participants, equivalent to the electricity load of more than 60,000 households.

Clean energy such as water energy, wind energy, and light energy are easily affected by the natural environment and climate. As more wind power and photovoltaic power are connected to the grid, the intermittency, randomness and volatility of these energy sources have become the biggest challenge to balancing the power system.

With the deployment of a number of microgrid demonstration projects according to local conditions, State Grid Fujian Electric Power further applies technologies such as flexible DC, AC-DC hybrid and coordinated operation of distribution network and microgrid to create demonstration forms of multiple types of microgrids (groups) in towns, islands, parks, villages, campuses, etc., thus accelerating the development of clean energy.

Fujian's first microgrid demonstration project for storage and charging of sea fishermen dwellings is located in the waters of Sanduao in Ningde, where there is the largest large yellow croaker breeding base in the country. Through the comprehensive use of wind power generation, photovoltaic power generation, energy storage and digital energy management systems, the project optimizes and coordinates energy, transmission networks, end users and storage technologies, as well as a wide range of complementary renewable energy sources, to ensure uninterrupted power supply to sea fishermen dwellings. 

Building a New Form of Smart Grid with 'Digital Fujian Electric Power'

Employees of State Grid Fujian Electric Power are inspecting the 1000 kV UHV substation with UAVs and robotics.[Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Fujian is the source of the idea and practice of Digital China. Based on the unique advantages of digital Fujian construction, State Grid Fujian Electric Power integrates digital technology and energy technology to create a "Digital Fujian Electric Power" ecosystem, in which there are widely interconnected, data-driven, lean, agile, open, and diverse digital grids and new forms of enterprises. Guided by digital thinking, Fujian empowers business applications with more resilient infrastructure and stronger power grid security defenses. By supporting smart operation of power grids, lean equipment management, ecological high-quality services, and efficient and compliant operations, Fujian is leading the transformation and upgrade of enterprises with new achievements in digitalization.

Fujian Power Grid implements nearly 20,000 equipment operations every year. In the past, it took about 30 to 60 minutes to stop or resume power transmission through a 110 kV line. Operators and supervisors were required to repeatedly issue orders, read back, operate, and conduct on-site inspections, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

In this regard, with the support of "AI + Industrial Internet of Things", State Grid Fujian Electric Power has created an online platform and pioneered a "one-click sequential control" model for smart grid operation. Under the State Grid Corporation of China, State Grid Fujian Electric Power is the first to fully cover substations of 110 kV and above with "one-click sequential control".

Nowadays, power grid monitors can click the "one-click sequence control" button to automatically generate operation tickets, start operation steps with one click and check the master station system to prevent errors in less than 5 minutes. As the operation time of equipment is reduced from "hours" to "minutes", power supply reliability is further improved.

Intelligent integration is one of the basic features of the new power system. Advanced digital information technologies such as cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, mobile Internet, and AI are widely used in all aspects of the power system.

Based on the "Digital Fujian Electric Power" ecosystem, residents' electricity experience is further improved with the help of smart devices.

In terms of electricity-related services, State Grid Fujian Electric Power has upgraded the visualization platform of power supply capabilities, and extended the one-click application and installation of low-voltage electricity on "State Grid Online" APP. The special service of "one-click ordering and on-site settlement" streamlines the process of related service until it is step-free.

In Changle District, Fuzhou, the power grid has become "transparent" based on full coverage of intelligent integrated terminals in low-voltage areas. From low-voltage area to household electricity meter, the once "blind area" can now be automatically analyzed and diagnosed with faults accurate to specific equipment and users. According to statistics from Chen Yongda, a technician in the digitalization team of the Operation and Inspection Department of the State Grid Changle District Power Supply Company, in 2022, the average duration of breakdown repairs to low-voltage faults reduced by 13 minutes compared with the previous year. 

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