Aerospace industrial park expanding in Jiangsu

On the northern flank of the Yangtze River Delta, a grand aerospace industrial park is expanding in the county-level city of Jingjiang in Jiangsu province, as part of a planned 10-billion-yuan ($1.38 billion) aerospace cluster.

This industry cluster under the prefecture-level city of Taizhou has made contributions to China's monumental aerospace achievements — from the Shenzhou spacecraft to the C919 aircraft, and from the Tiangong space station to the Tianwen Mars mission.

The nationally influential park, covering some 1,000 mu (66.7 hectares), constitutes a full industry chain covering engine manufacturing, precision components and equipment testing, and can produce 600 reusable 100-metric-ton-thrust liquid oxygen-kerosene rocket engines each year.

Since the park's establishment in 2006, State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Co has actively participated in providing the facility's electricity needs.

"State Grid Taizhou is the solid backbone of our development," said Wang Shaobin, director of the administrative committee of the Jingjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone. "Its premium power services are vital for attracting investment and ensuring their operations."

Today, the development zone, which houses the aerospace park, operates three 220 kilovolt substations and four 110 kV substations, providing robust power support for its industrial growth.

Qin Chunfang, a manager at State Grid Taizhou, said the power supplier has taken a three-pronged approach to bolster the park's green growth — offering tailored power services, designating dedicated service managers and providing a reliable power supply.

In response to China's carbon peak and neutrality goals, State Grid Taizhou has developed tailored green transition plans for the enterprises.

At GKN Aerospace Components (Jingjiang) Co Ltd, the company replaced water-cooled HVAC systems with energy-saving ventilation systems in production facilities following the power supplier's recommendations, slashing power consumption by over 35 percent.

Jiangsu Aerospace Power Manufacturing Co Ltd linked its 11.48 megawatt photovoltaic project to the grid in October 2024, generating 7 million kilowatt-hours annually.

"After installing photovoltaics, we can save up to 4 million yuan in annual costs," said Ma Kai, company manager.

Meanwhile, dedicated service managers have also become "trusted guardians" for enterprises' power needs.

At Jiangsu Donghua Testing Technology Co Ltd, established in 1993, power manager Qin Chunfang helped detect temperature discrepancies in a dedicated transformer's bushings — a flaw that risked insulation failure and facility shutdown — during a routine visit in March 2024.

In addition, State Grid Taizhou's stable and reliable power supply has injected vigorous momentum into the cluster's progress.

In May 2006, a 220 kV industrial park substation commenced operations. By 2008, three additional 110 kV transmission lines were added, doubling total capacity. And in December 2023, four grid enhancement projects completed comprehensive upgrades.