State Grid's safety assessments herald stable, secure power grid

Following the requirements of the equipment management department of State Grid Corporation of China, State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute launched the first technical conformity assessment of the CHINT Group's 500-kilovolt GIS (gas-insulated switchgear) equipment from June 12 to 14.

The results of the assessment were recognized by eight prestigious experts working within the State Grid system, including those from the East China Branch, China Electric Power Research Institute, Fujian Branch, Henan Branch, Shanghai Branch, Hunan Branch and others.

As one of the core pieces of equipment in the power grid, the quality of GIS equipment is the basis for the safety of the power grid. State Grid Corporation of China verifies the qualification and capability of suppliers before bidding to confirm whether potential suppliers have the qualifications and capabilities to provide qualified products. However, there are still instances where some suppliers provide equipment that is inconsistent with type tests or procurement technical specifications. Some of them changed designs or replaced key raw material components. Such issues restricted the stable operation of the power grid.

The technical conformity assessment of GIS equipment is one of the key tasks for the State Grid's health management of substation equipment and the State Grid Anhui Power Supply Company's action in 2024. It aims to shift the equipment management mode from post-fault disposal to preventive measures, transitioning from single product quality control to batch certification. It will help move the quality control checkpoint forward and ensure equipment quality from the source. By conducting a full-process evaluation on the supply side, including standard conformity, structural design, evaluation on key raw materials and components, evaluation on manufacturing process, historical problem rectification, factory tests, and storage and transportation evaluation, the company ensures quality control before equipment is connected to the grid, preventing unqualified equipment from entering the network and laying a solid foundation for equipment safety.

The subject of this assessment is the first set of GIS equipment supplied by CHINT Group to State Grid Anhui Power Supply Company. The quality of the equipment is crucial for the power supply reliability of the entire East China region. To ensure the smooth progress of this assessment, State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute closely tracked the production progress of the GIS equipment according to plans, conducted pre-audits of assessment materials and provided timely feedback to suppliers. Those measures improved the assessment efficiency. The company organized a team of well-known experts from the province, China Electric Power Research Institute and other units to conduct the evaluation. They rigorously checked issues item by item according to the implementation rules of the assessment and proposed suggestions to ensure reliable assessment conclusions. The company emphasized summary and grasped key information from experts. Then, it adjusted the implementation rules and scoring criteria of the assessment.

Next, State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute will continue to monitor possible defects and issue technical supervision warnings for typical major defects. It is launching new measures to combine on-site installation progress with on-site installation quality assessments, in a bid to safeguard the safe and stable operation of the power grid.