China plans international super electricity grid

Global energy interconnection, the formation of a massive global electricity grid powered by renewable sources, will serve as a new engine for the Belt and Road Initiative, according to an expert.

Wang Yimin, secretary-general of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, said electricity interconnection would enhance regional economic and trade cooperation, particularly as some areas along the trading routes are rich in clean energy.

The non-governmental and non-profit international organization has been striving to boost big-ticket projects to connect the electricity networks of China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and other countries, he told a news conference IN? ON MONDAY?.

GEI would be a globally interconnected smart grid with ultra-high voltage grids as its backbone. It would also serve as a platform to develop, transmit and consume clean energy on a massive scale worldwide, according to Wang.

To facilitate such efforts, GEIDCO is going to sign cooperation agreements or memorandums of cooperation with several international governments and international organizations to construct the system during the upcoming Belt and Road summit, said Wang.

In 2015, China proposed to establish the GEI to help meet global power demand with clean and green alternatives. The initiative was proposed as severe energy challenges, such as resource scarcity, environmental pollution, and climate change pose a greater threat to the survival of humanity.

GEI, as a Chinese solution to address these challenges, should be incorporated into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres WHERE? WHEN?.

The China-led organization plans to put intercontinental grids in place in each continent by 2050, after setting up a countrywide super-grid by 2020.