5.2.2 The Power Grid of the Future
According to Zhou Xiaoxin, China’s renowned
power system expert and his research team,
China’s grid will evolve from the second to the
third generation by 2050. Building on more than
100 years of first- and second-generation grid
technologies, the third-generation grid supports
large-scale new energy power generation, significantly reduces grid security risks and integrates a wide range of information and
communications technologies. It is the smart,
sustainable power grid of the future. The overall
trend of grid development is to build a flexible,
efficient and integrated smart energy system
comprising a network of national transmission
systems, local transmission and distribution systems, microgrids with distributed energy resources, energy storage facilities and energy utility
systems.
The power grid of the future will be a combination of conventional grids and microgrids.
China’s West-to-East and North-to-South power
transmission projects will remain the backbone
of the system, transporting a mix of hydropower,
coal power, large-scale wind power and
desert-based solar power to load centres.
17 Distributed power generation systems that use local
energy sources and regional grids and microgrids
will be developed, and the number of electric
vehicles and other energy storage facilities will
substantially increase. The future power distribution system will probably be divided into
several independently operating zones, which
can connect with virtual power plants and
microgrids of varying sizes.
18
AC and DC power links will form the spine of
the national transmission system. Ultra-high
voltage AC (UHVAC) transmission systems are
synchronous, providing instantaneous response
and adjustment to regional changes in demand.
Ultra-high voltage DC (UHVDC) point-to-point
transmission systems transfer large amounts of
power at very high voltages over very long distances, with low electrical losses. UHVDC and
UHVAC systems complement each other, and a
mix of the two is where the future of UHV
transmission in China lies. Flexible HVDC and
DC power systems will be effective supplements,
delivering technical and cost-efficient advantages. As the manufacturing technologies of
cut-off devices and DC cables continuously
improve, flexible HVDC will become the most
important transmission mode in DC power
systems.
Advanced information and communications
technologies will be deployed across the entire
power system value chain to increase automation, digitalisation and intelligence and provide
deeper and better information on system operations. Artificial intelligence, the Internet of
things, big data, cloud computing, deep learning
and blockchain will be deployed in asset management, system control, and energy management and trading to improve security,
cost-effectiveness and reliability.
Diverse sources of energy will be integrated to
enable interactive supply and demand. The
power grid of the future will support large volumes of renewable energy and enable smart
operation and integrated information management. It will become an Energy Internet that
integrates energy, information and business to
balance supply and demand, provide users with
flexible options and the ability to conduct
real-time transactions. The Energy Internet will
dynamically manage and optimise multiple
energy sources, delivering grid reliability and
maximising financial returns.
5.2.3 Distributed Energy
China’s structural transformation of the economy
and energy system is accompanied by cheaper
distributed energy and digitalisation. China’s
distributed energy prospects are highly promising. According to research on China’s energy
system evolution by Professor Li Liying of South
China University of Technology and his team,
the pathways of distributed energy development
are as follows: first, in the short term (up to
2020), centralised energy supply will remain
17
Zhou Xiaoxin, et al. Development Mode and Critical
Technologies for China’s Future Grid, Proceedings of the
CSEE, Issue 25, 2014.
18
Ma Zhao, et al. Form and Trends of Future Power
Distribution Systems, Proceedings of the CSEE, Issue 6,
2015.
162
W. Xiaoming et al.
According to Zhou Xiaoxin, China’s renowned
power system expert and his research team,
China’s grid will evolve from the second to the
third generation by 2050. Building on more than
100 years of first- and second-generation grid
technologies, the third-generation grid supports
large-scale new energy power generation, significantly reduces grid security risks and integrates a wide range of information and
communications technologies. It is the smart,
sustainable power grid of the future. The overall
trend of grid development is to build a flexible,
efficient and integrated smart energy system
comprising a network of national transmission
systems, local transmission and distribution systems, microgrids with distributed energy resources, energy storage facilities and energy utility
systems.
The power grid of the future will be a combination of conventional grids and microgrids.
China’s West-to-East and North-to-South power
transmission projects will remain the backbone
of the system, transporting a mix of hydropower,
coal power, large-scale wind power and
desert-based solar power to load centres.
17 Distributed power generation systems that use local
energy sources and regional grids and microgrids
will be developed, and the number of electric
vehicles and other energy storage facilities will
substantially increase. The future power distribution system will probably be divided into
several independently operating zones, which
can connect with virtual power plants and
microgrids of varying sizes.
18
AC and DC power links will form the spine of
the national transmission system. Ultra-high
voltage AC (UHVAC) transmission systems are
synchronous, providing instantaneous response
and adjustment to regional changes in demand.
Ultra-high voltage DC (UHVDC) point-to-point
transmission systems transfer large amounts of
power at very high voltages over very long distances, with low electrical losses. UHVDC and
UHVAC systems complement each other, and a
mix of the two is where the future of UHV
transmission in China lies. Flexible HVDC and
DC power systems will be effective supplements,
delivering technical and cost-efficient advantages. As the manufacturing technologies of
cut-off devices and DC cables continuously
improve, flexible HVDC will become the most
important transmission mode in DC power
systems.
Advanced information and communications
technologies will be deployed across the entire
power system value chain to increase automation, digitalisation and intelligence and provide
deeper and better information on system operations. Artificial intelligence, the Internet of
things, big data, cloud computing, deep learning
and blockchain will be deployed in asset management, system control, and energy management and trading to improve security,
cost-effectiveness and reliability.
Diverse sources of energy will be integrated to
enable interactive supply and demand. The
power grid of the future will support large volumes of renewable energy and enable smart
operation and integrated information management. It will become an Energy Internet that
integrates energy, information and business to
balance supply and demand, provide users with
flexible options and the ability to conduct
real-time transactions. The Energy Internet will
dynamically manage and optimise multiple
energy sources, delivering grid reliability and
maximising financial returns.
5.2.3 Distributed Energy
China’s structural transformation of the economy
and energy system is accompanied by cheaper
distributed energy and digitalisation. China’s
distributed energy prospects are highly promising. According to research on China’s energy
system evolution by Professor Li Liying of South
China University of Technology and his team,
the pathways of distributed energy development
are as follows: first, in the short term (up to
2020), centralised energy supply will remain
17
Zhou Xiaoxin, et al. Development Mode and Critical
Technologies for China’s Future Grid, Proceedings of the
CSEE, Issue 25, 2014.
18
Ma Zhao, et al. Form and Trends of Future Power
Distribution Systems, Proceedings of the CSEE, Issue 6,
2015.
162
W. Xiaoming et al.