China's state grid boosts power supply amid cold wave

The State Grid Corp of China has intensified its efforts to ensure power supply and protect people's livelihoods in response to a recent cold wave that has affected most regions across the country.

In one case, the State Grid power supply company for Lijin county in Dongying, Shandong province, carried out strict inspections of both electrical substations and transmission lines amid heavy snowfall in the region.

The company said it sends staff to conduct status checks on key equipment including transformers and GIS, utilizing methods such as live line measurement and infrared temperature measurement. It makes sure the gas pressure of the inflation equipment is normal and strives to prevent gas leaks and liquefaction in gas chambers, which could happen during the cold weather. If any issues are detected, the company will identify the causes and resolve them promptly.

The company monitors the heating and moisture removal devices on outdoor terminal boxes, mechanism boxes, and control cabinets, ensuring that all the boxes and cabinets are properly sealed and there is no condensation, moisture, or icing inside.

Efforts have also been made to check the sealing conditions of production rooms, such as the main control room and high voltage room, as well as to confirm that both their indoor and outdoor heating systems are working well.

When it comes to the transmission lines, the company said it makes use of thermometers and drones to inspect tension clamps, drainage plates, splice tubes, and cable terminals, in order to detect equipment "hot spots" under low temperature and high load conditions, and take targeted measures accordingly.

The company also focuses on inspecting the areas where objects such as dust nets and greenhouse films tend to float and prepares special euqipment in advance to properly handle any floating objects founded.

According to Shen Yanbo, scientific director of the Wind and Solar Energy Center at China Meteorological Administration, China has experienced extreme weather frequently in recent years. The new power system is sensitive to temperature swings, and the country must keep a close eye on not only transmission lines but also the entire power trading system, said Shen, who added that climate predictions should consider global conditions rather than being limited to a single region.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn