Power network set to increase

By Jim Bai and Aizhu Chen (China Daily)

2011-01-29 09:30

BEIJING - China plans to invest in further development of long-distance, high-capacity power transmission technology, aiming to bring more power from its remote western and northern regions to the energy-hungry East and South coasts.

State Grid Corp of China (SGCC), the country's leading power distributor, said in a company newspaper on Friday that it planned a pilot project for a 1,100 kilovolt (kV) direct-current power transmission line within five years.

It did not provide details of the project, saying only that it aimed to finish key technology research in one and a half years, and key equipment manufacturing in two years.

SGCC put an 800 kV direct-current line with a transmission capacity of 6.4 gigawatts (gW) into operation in July last year. That line carries electricity from hydropower-rich Sichuan Province to Shanghai, a distance of 1,907 kilometers (km).

It also started a 640 km, 1,000 kV alternating-current power line, the world's first, in early 2009, linking hydropower-rich Hubei and coal-abundant Shanxi, and plans to double its transmission capacity to 5 gW before the end of this year.

Related readings:
Power network set to increase China's UHV technology leads the world
Power network set to increase State Grid, GE to create smart grid standards
Power network set to increase China's State Grid buys $1b Brazil power assets
Power network set to increase Hebei to invest 160b yuan in power grid

China Southern Power Grid Corp kicked off a 1,373 km, 800 kV direct-current power line with a capacity of 5 gW in the middle of 2010 that carries power from the hydropower-rich Guizhou and Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to the export hub of Guangdong province.

China is the only country in the world with plans to build large ultra-high voltage (UHV) power-line networks, with SGCC alone earmarking more than 500 billion yuan ($76 billion) to build 40,000 km of lines by 2015.

Industry objections to UHV power networks, citing concern over pollution, technological and economic viability, supply security and competition, have gradually subsided after the launches of large-scale construction of UHV lines in recent years.

Reuters

Charger captures power from Wifi

A US electronics company invented a charger that draws its power from Wifi signals, according to TGDaily.com.

'Green seeds' chewing gum bottle

The "Green Seeds" chewing gum bottle designed by Jiang Gonglue makes it easier for you to deal with gum residue.

Bulb water heater

A French graduate designed a kettle using an incandescent bulb to heat water, according to dezeen.com

China International Green Industry Expo 2010

The China International Green Industry Expo 2010 (CIGIE 2010) is an important international green industry exhibition hosted by the Chinese government and held at the Beijing Exhibition Center, Nov 24 to 27.

China Wind Power 2010 Conference&Exhibition

China Wind Power 2010 is the largest and most important international wind power conference and exhibition in China.

TradeWinds Shipping China 2010

TradeWinds Shipping China 2010 moves to examine every important facet of the shipping industry's fortunes.