Energy Internet will become a strong support

China Energy Storage Network: With the intensification of environmental pollution and the tightening of fossil energy consumption constraints, the energy industry urgently needs to propose a new business model that is different from the traditional energy system, namely the Energy Internet. Under the new form of the Energy Internet, the morphological characteristics of the energy system, "horizontally complementing multiple sources and vertically coordinating source-grid-load-storage", will continue to develop and deepen. The construction of the Energy Internet will promote the development of a series of new technologies and new business models, thereby achieving clean, efficient, safe, convenient and sustainable use of energy.

The Global Energy Internet is composed of intercontinental and transnational backbone grids and power grids of various voltage levels in various countries. It connects the large-scale energy bases of "one pole and one line" (the Arctic and the equator), adapts to various centralized and distributed power sources, and can deliver renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy, and ocean energy to various users. It is a global energy configuration platform with a wide service range, strong configuration capabilities, high safety and reliability, and green and low-carbon. It is an important technology for solving global energy development problems.

In September 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the UN Development Summit, proposing to explore the construction of a global energy internet and promote the use of clean and green methods to meet global electricity demand, making the world realize the importance of a global energy internet.

Most of the energy problems faced by countries around the world also exist in China. As a major energy producer and consumer, China faces more complex, diverse and prominent energy problems. As an important means and technology to solve energy problems, the global energy Internet should be given more attention in China. The release of a series of relevant policy documents at the national level, such as the "Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Actively Promoting the "Internet +" Action" in July 2015 and the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of "Internet +" Smart Energy" in February 2016, highlights China's determination to comprehensively promote and develop the energy Internet, and also shows the huge development potential of the energy Internet industry.

Strengthening cooperation in the energy field is a key link in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. With the continuous progress of advanced smart grid technology and large-scale long-distance power transmission technology, the realization of energy Internet and even global energy interconnection will provide strong support for the energy cooperation of the Belt and Road Initiative. The development of energy Internet will support the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative in the following aspects:

First, the energy internet and even global energy interconnection can convert various energy sources such as coal, oil, water, wind, and light in countries and regions along the Belt and Road into electrical energy and transmit it over long distances, so that various energy resources can be used complementary on a large scale, and the efficiency and economy of the entire energy system can be improved, thereby reducing the electricity costs of countries along the route and promoting the prosperity and development of industries, manufacturing and other sectors in countries along the Belt and Road. Second, the energy internet includes large-scale and wide-ranging interconnection of energy networks, communication networks and transportation networks. The development of the global energy internet can drive the development of a large number of strategic emerging industries and strengthen cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road in energy and related fields. Third, the large-scale "intelligent interconnection" of the global energy internet is a "Chinese solution" to promote the consumption of new energy and solve problems such as climate change, and can promote the smooth and sustainable development of countries along the Belt and Road.

(The author is the director of the Energy Internet Center of North China Electric Power University, deputy director and secretary-general of the Energy Internet Committee of the China Energy Research Society)