China global grid challenge

Market & Trends

China global grid challenge

In a bid to further enhance integration of the planet’s energy infrastructure, China is running projects within the GEI plan, connecting renewable power sources across borders and potentially signalling worldwide investments worth $50 trillion.

General Energy Interconnection (GEI) initiative, run by the non-governmental Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO). To-date this Beijing-based organisation has signed memorandums of cooperation with five international partners, with a view to connecting renewable power projects across national borders by overcoming geographical and historical terrain obstacles standing in the way of energy interconnection.

GEI projects will also be part of the Belt and Road Initiative. With 305 members, the organisation operates in 32 countries and regions across 5 continents.

GEIDCO aims to set up countrywide supergrids across the world by 2020 with the ultimate goal of putting intercontinental grids in place on each continent by 2050. They also have a target to increase clean energy consumption to 80% by then, in addition to reducing carbon emission to 11.5 billion metric tons, and propelling investment in GEI to $50 trillion worldwide. The deadline of 2050 was set in order to give enough time to effectively solve any geographical or historical issues.

One planned major project is the China-South Asia Energy Interconnection. Others include the construction of two UHV-transmission projects, which  will transmit electricity generated in China and Kazakhstan to Pakistan, in order to ease power shortages.

The State Grid Corporation of China – the country’s largest utility – has so far built 10 cross-border  transmission lines, connecting the nation with neighboring countries such as Russia and Mongolia. In the meantime, China Southern Power Grid, another state-owned powerhouse, has constructed 12 alternating-current lines between Laos, Myanmar  and Vietnam.

GEIDCO has agreed to outline plans with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; the Arab League; the African Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority.

Among the world’s three most significant networks, the integration of energy infrastructure lags far behind the information and transportation sectors,” GEIDCO chairman Liu Zhenya wrote in a guest article in the Bloomberg View.

MORE COMPETITIVE THANKS TO JIANGSU

Chinese factory, Prysmian Technology Jiangsu Co. Ltd, has successfully commenced its operations after completing the acquisition of certain assets from former owner Shen Huan Cable Technologies. The company is now fully owned and managed by Prysmian, which provides the new factory with the Group’s technologies, assets, competence and expertise, in addition to its most experienced and trained employees in the high voltage business. It is now all set to enhance its competitiveness in the Chinese utilities market.
Jiangsu can count on manufacturing and logistics facilities consisting of an area of more than 190,000 sq meters and five production lines, with a production capacity of over 30,000 tonnes per year. It therefore boasts one of the highest production capacities of the Group.
Jiangsu can also offer a wide range of cable technologies and products, designed and manufactured in accordance with Prysmian Group quality and standards, including extra high voltage and high voltage cable systems, medium voltage offerings ranging from 6 kV to 500 kV, and fire protection cables.