Digital technologies to boost green transformation of nation's energy system

Digital technologies could play a big role in transforming China's energy system into a greener and more effective network and boost the country's carbon emissions reduction effort, said experts.

"In 2019, China's CO2 emissions stood at 10.2 billion tons, accounting for 28.8 percent of the global total," said Tang Guangfu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chairman of the Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute, said during a breakout session of the 2021 World 5G Convention on Wednesday.

"The country faces enormous pressure and a tight schedule to achieve the goal of bringing its carbon dioxide emissions to a peak by 2030," he said.

Renovating the electric power system is essential for the green transformation of the country's energy sector, Tang said.

Traditional grid network is facing challenges in providing sustainable supplies, ensuring safe operation, and meeting economic energy demand, said Sun Zhengyun, vice-chairman of the China Energy Research Society.

Digital technologies should be used to promote the grid network' transformation into an internet of energy, and build a new power system based on digital technologies, said Sun.

In constructing a new power system, safety is always the number one concern. Providing reliable power supply to ensure the smooth operation of the economy is a big challenge, he said.

"5G technology can not only improve the load-storage interaction efficiency of grid networks, but also increase consumers' demand-supply interaction and data collection capabilities," said Tang.

He suggested further 5G application and adaptability researches as well as equipment serialization and customization.

In addition, new and renewable energy sources with great development potential can be better integrated by solving bottleneck problems in 5G application, he said.

Large scale development of new and renewable energy sources can diversify energy mix, which is of crucial significance in ensuring China's energy security, said Sun Zhengyun.