Beijing is set to power the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics with energy sourced from 100% renewable energy.

All of the 26 venues will be powered with 100% renewable energy.

Renewable energy and a smart grid

Chinese utilities including new energy providers China Huadian Corporation Ltd. and Beijing Jingneng Power Co, as well as the State Grid Beijing Electric Power have signed agreements with Olympic venues to deploy renewable energy and other electrification projects.

Deals signed have enabled the implementation of the Smart Grid Planning for Low-Carbon Olympics. The programme will ensure the installation of new and the use of existing smart grid technologies and renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure in three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou.

The deals have also resulted in the launch of the Zhangbei Renewable Energy Flexible DC Grid Pilot and Demonstration Project. The smart grid project demonstrates how smart grids and clean energy can be leveraged to ensure a strong, smart, clean, and efficient grid for a low-carbon Olympics.

Gu Yi, director of the second planning division under the Department of Development and Planning of State Grid, adds: “The company is building an energy internet innovation demonstration zone featuring ‘smart grid + UHV grid + clean energy’ based on the unique advantages of Beijing and Zhangjiakou in resource and location, so as to provide safe, reliable, and clean power support for the Winter Olympics.”

The State Grid Beijing Electric Power Company will also leverage a number of digital technologies such as smart robots to inspect power equipment for the Winter Olympics.

Renewable energy generation resources installed as part of a clean energy demonstration zone in Zhangjiakou will also be utilised. The demonstration zone was developed in response to the Zhangjiakou, Heibei Renewable Energy Demonstration Zone Development Plan. Some three renewable energy projects are underway.

The projects include a 10GW wind power initiative, large-scale photovoltaic power bases, and high-temperature solar thermal power projects. The projects are expected to install clean energy capacity of 20GW, 24GW and 6GW by 2030, respectively.

Energy trading

Beijing is also planning to power its venues with capacity sourced from green power trading network Jibei Power Exchange Platform.

This follows the release of the Rules for Market-Based Trading of Green Power in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, China’s first set of rules for green power trading, in November 2018.

According to the rules, green power trading between Winter Olympic venues and new energy generation enterprises will be given priority.

Using the power exchange platform, Olympics and Paralympics venues can negotiate power prices with energy traders, buy green energy at a cheaper price, save costs and reduce carbon footprints.

On July 1, 2019, the power trading for Winter Olympic venues in Beijing was launched. The first seven venues and auxiliary facilities thus gained access to green power. “From 2019 to 2020, the organising committee plans to seal deals for all Olympics-related power used during venue construction, trial events and official events, totaling around 700GWh of green electricity,” said the head of the green power trading workgroup under State Grid leading groups the for Winter Olympics.

E-mobility

The State Grid Beijing Electric Power Company has built the city’s largest centralised electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the underground car park of Wukesong Sports Center.

The 80 sets of 60kW DC charging pile and 120 sets of 7kW AC can charge a maximum of 1,300 EVs on a daily basis.

The utility is adding another 1,187 EV chargers in Beijing Municipal Administrative Centers, areas around the Winter Olympic venues, service areas of the Beijing-Chongli Expressway, and Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone.