Electricity generator takes steps to ensure full supply

As temperatures continue to fall in Beijing, the capital’s maximum power load had reached more than 17.8 million kilowatts by Monday evening, a winter record, according to State Grid Beijing Electric Power Co.

“The robust rise in the power load this winter is attributable to rising demand for electricity after Beijing converted to electricity from coal-fired heating,” said Zhou Yunbin, head of the company’s operations center.

State Grid estimates that the city’s maximum power load during the heating season — Nov 15 to March 15 — will rise by 10.6 percent year-onyear, and expects the power load for heating to account for about 40 percent of the total.

“The power load for heating is about 5.85 million kW during peak periods this year, up 10.7 percent year-on-year,” Zhou said.

About 1.1 million households in Beijing have switched from coalfired heating to electricity, which will result in an additional 3.8 million kW power load to the city’s grid.

To ensure stable operations, the company has prepared equipment maintenance schedules, emergency plans and technological support.

To raise grid efficiency and ensure a stable supply when the power load soars, the company has introduced several mobile generators, each with a capacity of 10 kilovolts, according to Ren Lintao, deputy head of the maintenance department. It is the first time they have ever been used in China.

To reduce coal-fired pollution, measures have been taken this year to promote clean central heating in the northern regions and replace coal with electricity and natural gas.

On March 18, Beijing closed its last coal-fired power plant, making the capital the country’s first clean energy-powered city.

The closure of the plant, owned by Huaneng Group, one of China’s five power generation giants, will help to cut 1.76 million metric tons of coal use annually.

However, on Dec 7, in response to the shortage of natural gas in northern China caused by the surge in heating demand, the authorities decided to restart the plant for emergency use.

The plant, which came into operation in 1999, has a total installed generation capacity of 845,000 kW, and can supply an area of 26 million square meters.

Use of the plant will help to reduce natural gas use in the capital and ease a shortage of fuel in northern China during winter.

Xinhua contributed to this story.