Southern Power Grid: Seize the opportunity of "new infrastructure" to accelerate the construction of smart grid

The Party Central Committee has repeatedly made arrangements to accelerate the construction of new infrastructure such as 5G networks, ultra-high voltage, and new energy vehicle charging piles. China Southern Power Grid has actively responded to the Party Central Committee's requirements to strengthen investment and construction in "new infrastructure", accelerated in the field of "new infrastructure", and stimulated new momentum for high-quality development. Starting from this issue, this newspaper will open a column "Top Leaders Talk about New Infrastructure" in order to mobilize relevant departments and units to think deeply about "new infrastructure", build a communication platform, and create a good atmosphere.

I. Opportunities and Challenges

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the global economy has been hit hard. New infrastructure construction (hereinafter referred to as "new infrastructure") has shown its strong potential and has become an important area to combat the impact of the epidemic and promote economic growth. "New infrastructure" is an infrastructure system that is guided by the new development concept, driven by technological innovation, based on information networks, and oriented to the needs of high-quality development, providing services such as digital transformation, intelligent upgrading, and integrated innovation. On April 20, the National Development and Reform Commission redefined the connotation of "new infrastructure". "New infrastructure" mainly includes information infrastructure generated by the evolution of new generation information technology; integrated infrastructure formed by supporting the transformation and upgrading of traditional infrastructure based on the deep application of technologies such as "cloud, big data, Internet of Things, mobile and intelligence"; and innovative infrastructure with public welfare attributes used to support scientific research, technological development, and product development. As a new growth point, "new infrastructure" can stabilize the economy and growth in the short term, and will stimulate more demand in the long term. It has a huge economic scale and will become a pillar industry for economic transformation and upgrading.

In 2017, the company released the "Research Report on the Development Plan of the Smart Grid of the Southern Power Grid", proposing a smart grid architecture system covering nine areas including "five links + four supporting systems". The five links are: clean and friendly power generation, safe and efficient power transmission and transformation, flexible and reliable power distribution, diverse and interactive power consumption, smart energy and energy Internet; the four supporting systems are: a fully connected communication network, an efficient and interactive dispatching and control system, an integrated and shared information platform, and a comprehensive technical support system. The smart grid is a new generation of power system that integrates new energy, new materials, new equipment, and advanced sensing technology, information technology, control technology, energy storage technology and other new technologies. It has the characteristics of high informatization, automation, and interactivity, and can better realize the safe, reliable, economical and efficient operation of the power grid.

In recent years, the company has continued to accelerate the construction of smart grids, which can be said to be highly consistent with the "new infrastructure". Smart grids themselves are integrated infrastructure in the "new infrastructure". More importantly, as smart energy infrastructure, smart grids provide "safe, reliable, green and efficient" energy and power guarantees for the "new infrastructure". As an indispensable part of all "new infrastructure", they are the material basis for us to serve and help the development of the "new infrastructure" industry.

In the tide of the development of "new infrastructure", smart grid construction will usher in a new period of opportunity. The comprehensive development of the "new infrastructure" industry chain will further promote the company to accelerate the construction of smart grids and accelerate the transformation to smart grid operators, energy industry value chain integrators, and energy ecosystem service providers. But at the same time, we are also facing major challenges. There are still many difficulties to overcome in strengthening innovation, scientific layout, efficient implementation, and upgrading energy services. There is still a lot of work to be done step by step.

II. Objectives and Foundations

In 2019, the company issued the Outline of the New Era Development Strategy (2019 Edition), the Implementation Opinions on Promoting High-quality Development and Accelerating the Construction of a World-class Enterprise with Global Competitiveness (2019 Edition), and other documents, which put forward clear strategic development goals: by 2020, the development pattern of smart grid will be basically formed; by 2025, the smart grid will be basically completed; by 2035, the company's key core indicators will be at the world's first-class level. In recent years, the company has taken the construction of smart grid demonstration areas as a starting point to promote the implementation of the company's smart grid development plan, and has achieved remarkable results.

First, the construction of smart grid demonstration areas has been promoted with high quality. Demonstration areas with characteristics such as high reliability and "Internet +" smart energy have been basically built. They have deeply integrated technologies such as "cloud, big data, Internet of Things, mobile and intelligence" to achieve automation, digitization and visualization of smart distribution stations, further reduce equipment failure rates, optimize asset utilization, improve operation and maintenance quality and efficiency, and adapt to flexible access to multiple energy sources, thereby improving service interaction capabilities;

Second, the "Technical Guidelines for the Design of Smart Substations" and "Technical Guidelines for the Design of Smart Substations of China Southern Power Grid (Trial)" and other documents were formulated to propose the technical development direction of intelligence, integration and modularization, and promote the solid implementation of the pilot construction of smart substations;

Third, after summarizing and refining, a standard design and typical cost (V3.0) for the intelligent power distribution field based on the integration of intelligent technology and operation and maintenance strategies was formulated to improve the standard system for the construction of intelligent grids, and to fully promote the construction of intelligent power distribution demonstration projects, taking a key step towards comprehensively accelerating the construction of intelligent grids and accelerating the improvement of the intelligent level of distribution networks;

Fourth, we will comprehensively promote the construction of digital power grid platforms, build the Hainan digital power grid platform and put it into operation, complete the cloud display of the demonstration area, and provide important demonstration and reference for the construction of digital power grids. At the same time, the company will strengthen the promotion and application of smart projects in the field of infrastructure, promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology and infrastructure business, and promote the transformation and upgrading of infrastructure management and control models. The company adheres to the new development concept, focuses on the construction, operation, industrial chain integration and energy ecology of digital power grids and smart grids, and has laid a solid foundation for responding to the challenges of "new infrastructure" through exploration and efforts in recent years.

3. Grasp the direction and forge ahead

The company's infrastructure field adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resolutely implements all decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and under the unified deployment of the company's party group, resolutely coordinates epidemic prevention and control and smart grid construction, and fully serves social and economic development. Smart grid planning and construction is an important way for the company to achieve high-quality development, and it is also an important means for the company to implement the "six stability" measures, promote economic growth and development, and achieve the company's strategic goals. We must seize the opportunities of new infrastructure development, fully summarize the previous experience and achievements in smart grid planning and construction, deeply integrate concepts and technologies such as "cloud, big data, Internet of Things, mobile, and intelligence" and "Internet +", make overall plans, accurately grasp the direction, and take digitalization and intelligence as the core to accelerate the quality upgrade of the company's smart grid construction and operation level, ensure that a safe, reliable, green, and efficient smart grid is basically built by 2025, and fully serve the current and future "new infrastructure" and social and economic development.

In the near future, I think we should focus on the following aspects:

First, we will strengthen innovation, accelerate the research and development of major key technologies for smart grids, make breakthroughs in the four major areas of smart transmission, smart substation, smart distribution, and smart measurement, and in the integration of 5G communications, and form innovative results that can be replicated and promoted;

Second, accelerate the construction and application of digital power grid platforms, establish digital power grids, build a solid foundation for big data, and support more advanced applications;