In recent days, extensive and persistent high-temperature weather has been observed across the country, leading to sustained increases in electricity demand in many regions. National power consumption has reached a record high for the third time. Leveraging the unified national electricity market, inter-provincial and inter-regional power transactions are operating efficiently, strengthening the supply guarantee defense line for peak summer demand.
According to data released by the National Energy Administration, the national electricity load has set a new record for the third time, reaching a peak of 1.553 billion kilowatts, an increase of approximately 45 million kilowatts compared to last year's peak. Since June, 15 provincial power grids, including Hubei and Jiangsu, have seen their electricity loads reach new highs a total of 32 times.
Unveiling How the "Electricity Supermarket" Achieves Seamless Mutual Aid?
How does market-based allocation function when electricity demand peaks across various regions? In the dispatch hall of State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power, during the evening peak period, a cross-provincial spot transaction involving 130,000 kilowatts of power purchased from Hubei had just been completed.
In the national unified electricity market, regions can buy and sell electricity based on their own supply and demand conditions at any time. With the support of nationwide inter-provincial and inter-regional transmission channels, the allocation of electricity resources becomes more flexible.
Through rapid matching by the electricity spot trading platform, this batch of 130,000 kilowatts of power from Hubei was precisely delivered to the Jiangsu power grid during peak electricity demand, effectively alleviating the pressure on the power supply in southern Jiangsu during peak periods.
Unveiling How the "Electricity Supermarket" Achieves Seamless Mutual Aid?
Li Jie, Deputy Director of the Dispatching and Operation Department at the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Dispatching and Control Center:
In the past, we primarily relied on in-province power generation units and fixed cross-regional power supply to manage peak electricity demand, with limited flexibility. Now, the inter-provincial electricity spot market functions like a nationwide "power supermarket," where we can source the needed electricity resources. Since July, we have procured over 120 million kilowatt-hours of electricity through the inter-provincial spot market, effectively supporting the province's power demand.
Journalists learned from the National Energy Administration that to better ensure power supply, 19 provinces, including Shanxi, Shandong, and Zhejiang, have implemented year-round, daily market operations in their medium- and long-term markets. The frequency of market trading organization has been further increased, enriching the market-based mechanisms for cross-regional peak-shaving complementation and intra-regional flexible mutual support during this summer.
Green electricity and smart technology enhance power supply reliability
Currently, scorching heatwaves are not only sweeping across many southern regions but also setting off the "steamed bun mode" in numerous northern areas. On the front lines of summer peak power demand, how can green energy play its role, and how can smart technologies comprehensively strengthen power supply security?
In the power dispatch hall of Hebei, relying on the integrated dispatching system, this green electricity is forming a "day-and-night relay" power supply solution. During sunny days, photovoltaic systems concentrate their output, supplying nearly half of the regional electricity load during midday. As daylight wanes, photovoltaic output declines, while wind power effectively steps in, contributing an average of over 13% to the electricity load—a 9 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, new energy storage systems fully leverage their "capacity shifting and balancing" role, providing stable power support during peak periods.
Unveiling How the "Power Supermarket" Achieves Smooth Mutual Assistance?
During this year's peak summer period, not only did green electricity provide support, but a series of intelligent inspection methods also "stepped up to safeguard." In Weihai, Shandong, the local power department showcased cutting-edge "air-space-ground" integrated technology. At the first provincial-level power satellite application center in China's eastern coastal region, real-time satellite remote sensing images of the city's transmission lines were displayed on a large screen. By deeply integrating satellite remote sensing technology with power scenarios, hidden hazards in transmission lines can be monitored, identified, and warned, with hazard identification accuracy exceeding 90%.
Unveiling How the "Power Supermarket" Achieves Seamless Mutual Assistance?
According to the National Energy Administration, the peak electricity demand in China this year is expected to reach approximately 1.6 billion kilowatts, an increase of about 90 million kilowatts compared to last year. Currently, the overall electricity supply and demand in the country remain balanced. (Editor: zx0204)
