Northern regions ramp up green efforts

With the establishment of a series of key renewable energy projects, Tongliao in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region is actively developing its renewable energy industry chain and reinvigorating its ambition of becoming a leading national green energy base.

The projects include the recently built Longma wind power equipment manufacturing base, Kailu county's Mingyang 600,000-kilowatt wind power 220-kilovolt transmission project, and the Zhuri River 500 kV transmission and transformation project.

"Looking ahead, while ensuring the provision of clean energy to Tongliao, green electricity will also be directed westward. During critical periods of rising electricity demand, Inner Mongolia's renewable energy will facilitate cross-province consumption, maximizing the export of renewable energy and promoting its wider utilization," according to the project developer, State Grid East Inner Mongolia Electric Power Co.

Generation of renewable energy in Tongliao has made remarkable progress in recent years.

Currently, 46 wind farms are spread across the southern and northern parts of Tongliao, forming an extensive wind and solar energy belt over 300 kilometers long.

Wind and solar power have surpassed fuel power to become the primary energy sources in the area, transforming the region's longstanding reliance on traditional thermal energy.

Riding the wave of dual-carbon goals, a series of major grid projects have strongly supported the high-quality development and utilization of renewable energy in Tongliao, the power company said, adding that it will help accelerate the region's transition to clean and low-carbon energy.

Similarly, at an industrial park in Minning township, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a green power project is also in full swing.

By the end of this year, with the completion of the energy storage station and the coordinated control of the source-grid-load-storage system, Minning will achieve the goal of 24-hour green power supply.

Upon the completion of Minning Green Power Town at the end of this year, the comprehensive green power supply system will attract more enterprises favoring green power to establish their operations here.

This will significantly reduce carbon emissions in the township area, saving an estimated 70,000 metric tons of standard coal annually and reducing carbon emissions by 48,000 tons, according to State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co, the project builder.

Through a rooftop photovoltaic project, which provides paid space leasing, local farmers can achieve an annual increase in income of about 1,000 yuan per household while reducing carbon emissions, and the initiative will create more employment opportunities and promote rural vitalization and high-quality economic development, the Minning township government said.

"The successful grid connection of the village's photovoltaic sector is thanks to the precise and efficient services of the power company. With their support, we are full of confidence in our future development," said Ma Ning, Party secretary of Wuhe in Minning.

"We have established a panoramic monitoring system for the Green Power Town in Minning to capture real-time data on the distribution of new energy sources, generation capacity, load rates and power usage situation. This lays the foundation for further optimization and flexible interaction of source-grid-load-storage resources," said Wu Haikun, head of the internet office of State Grid Yinchuan Power Supply Co.

"In the future, we will utilize big data of Ningxia Electric Power Co to dynamically analyze the electricity consumption trends of Minning's industries and key sectors. This will help the government and related departments grasp industrial development trends and implement precise policies," Wu said.