Smart grid sector on fast track development

The smart grid sector is on a fast track of development buoyed by the needs of stable and reliable power supply, as an increasing amount of power is generated from intermittent renewable energy sources, experts said.

A digital power grid is characterized by the integration of digital communication technologies and analytics into the power network, aiming to enhance grid efficiency and reliability.

Utilizing real-time data analysis and automated control systems, a digital power grid can optimize energy flow, maintain a balance between supply and demand, reduce energy loss, and improve grid resilience against disturbances or disruptions, according to experts.

Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University in Fujian province, emphasized the challenges posed by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, which lack stability and control compared to traditional fossil fuels, making safe and stable operation of the grid more prominent.

Data from the National Energy Administration showed that the newly installed capacity of renewable energies reached 172 million kilowatts in the first three quarters this year, up 93 percent year-on-year, taking up 76 percent of newly increased installations. The new installations pushed the total installed capacity of renewable energies to over 1.38 billion kW by the end of September.

In the first nine months, power generated from renewable energies was 2.07 trillion kilowatt-hours, taking up about 31.3 percent of power generated from all sources.

With the increasing amount of power attached to the grids, experts pointed out that the fluctuations in power generation from renewable sources can lead to issues like voltage instability, adding challenges to stable power supply and transmission.

Facing growing demand, China has rapidly advanced its smart grid development in recent years. The Huaon Industrial Research Institute predicted that investment in China's smart grids will experience a compound annual growth rate of 6.19 percent from 2020 to 2025, reaching 158 billion yuan ($22.99 billion) by 2025.

Companies are also ramping up efforts to improve grid networks with advanced technologies.

Recently, the State Grid Shandong Electric Power Co's Laiwu power supply branch conducted autonomous grid inspections using drones in some of its grid networks, further expanding the scope of drone inspection operations and broadening the application scenarios for smart grids.

The autonomous inspection system features real-time monitoring, inspection management, resource management, system management and statistical reporting functions. It enables real-time route editing, real-time task deployment, on-site monitoring and automatic data collections throughout the entire operational process.

The company said the system can efficiently identify routes, transmit real-time images and significantly improve the efficiency of ground inspection personnel.

Currently, the company uses drones to inspect grids at voltage levels of 1,000 kilovolts and below, establishing 29 drone bases, each equipped with 75 drones.