CIIE to be fully powered by renewable energy

With the completion of an inter-provincial green power transaction totaling about 130 million kilowatt-hours for November, the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co has ensured the upcoming 8th China International Import Expo will be fully powered by renewable energy, marking the third consecutive year the CIIE has achieved 100 percent green power supply.

About 8 million out of the 1.3 million kilowatt-hours green power supply will fully cover the electricity demand of the 8th China International Import Expo, which will take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from Nov 5 to 10.

"During the preparation period and throughout November, about 8 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity were purchased, providing strong support for achieving 100 percent renewable energy use at the CIIE venue," said an official from the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

In addition, the State Grid Shanghai has leveraged the CIIE's demonstration effect to promote green electricity consumption among exhibitors and a broader range of users across Shanghai. The city's green power trading volume exceeded 1 billion kilowatt-hours in November, setting a record high for a single month, which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 798,000 tons, according to the State Grid Shanghai.

Leveraging the progress of the national unified power market and the Yangtze River Delta electricity market, the State Grid Shanghai has built a three-tier green power supply model covering cross-regional, regional, and local levels, and carried out multiple green electricity transactions. During the CIIE, green power will be jointly supplied from the northwest, northeast, east China, and local Shanghai regions.

As the CIIE achieves 100 percent green power for the third consecutive year, it has become a benchmark for Shanghai's low-carbon transformation of large-scale events. Going forward, the company will continue to help more enterprises adopt green electricity, promote low-carbon energy transition, and contribute to China's dual-carbon goals.

While actively promoting green and low-carbon practices, this year's CIIE also ensures safe and reliable power supply.

As the core power reliability provider, the State Grid Shanghai has leveraged its digital transformation achievements to upgrade its panoramic smart power supply assurance system to version 8.0. Compared with previous versions, the 8.0 version "four proactive" model comprehensively enhances power assurance capabilities, according to Li Yaqing, an engineer with the State Grid Shanghai Qingpu, as she verified real-time data on the 8.0 system's control screen.

Inside the CIIE's main venue, the smart power system has been further upgraded with digital twin technology and AI-based decision models, enabling a shift from reactive repairs to preventive power management.

"We have created a real-time equipment health and fault prediction system to address potential issues before they arise," said Wang Zichang, on-site engineer with the State Grid Shanghai Qingpu.

To ensure the smooth operation during the expo, the company conducted specialized inspections of key facilities and lines, including the National Exhibition and Convention Center. This included 2,385 cable patrols covering 8,081 kilometers, inspections of 517 key substations, deployment of 1,520 personnel and 792 vehicles, and the identification and remediation of 191 potential hazards.

During the CIIE, 2,500 professionals will be on duty for critical sites and lines, while over 3,100 emergency repair personnel and 891 power supply vehicles across Shanghai will remain on 24-hour standby, ensuring multi-layered, comprehensive power security for the successful hosting of the expo.