To create the “Jiangsu Model”, how does China National Petroleum Corporation help the province develop gas-electricity integration?

August 21, 2024    Howard

industry news

Since the beginning of summer, the Jiangnan region has been hot and humid, and the demand for electricity has continued to increase. In mid-August, in the machine room of Jiangsu Zhenjiang Gas Thermal Power Co., Ltd., a gas-fired generator set with a rated power of 485 megawatts was running at high speed. Here, the natural gas supplied by the natural gas sales company converts the heat energy generated by combustion into mechanical energy, drives the generator to rotate, and generates electricity. These clean electricity flows into the power grid continuously, providing thousands of households with a “cooling recipe” to relieve the summer heat.

In recent years, natural gas power generation has received more and more attention on the stage of power supply. As one of the provinces that actively promotes the integration of gas and electricity, Jiangsu Province has always been at the forefront of the country in the natural gas power generation industry. Why is natural gas power generation so popular in Jiangsu? What kind of development process has natural gas power generation in Jiangsu experienced? What role has the natural gas sales company, as the main gas supply, played in ensuring supply? What practical experience has been formed? With these questions, the reporter conducted interviews and investigations to explore the “Jiangsu example” of gas-electricity integration development.

In 2023, my country’s natural gas consumption continued to grow. Among the four major gas-using areas of urban gas, industry, power generation, and chemical industry, power generation gas accounted for about 17%. From the perspective of Jiangsu Province’s natural gas consumption in 2023, power generation gas accounted for 30.4%, far exceeding the national average. The information obtained by the reporter during the interview showed that Jiangsu has a high degree of gas-electricity integration and has made great efforts to promote natural gas power generation.

Jiangsu’s gas-fired power generation is closely related to Jiangsu’s regional characteristics. A relevant person in charge of the Economic Operation Bureau of the Jiangsu Provincial Development and Reform Commission said: “Jiangsu has a developed economy, but a dense population and a high per capita energy consumption base. It faces challenges such as energy shortages and great pressure on environmental protection. The orderly promotion of gas-fired power generation projects is of great significance to promoting energy conservation and emission reduction and ensuring power supply.”

Tracing the development of gas-electricity integration in Jiangsu, the reporter found that Jiangsu’s previous power generation structure was relatively simple and highly dependent on coal-fired power. In 2004, the West-East Gas Pipeline was put into operation, allowing the eastern region to use the natural gas produced and transported by the Tarim Oilfield of China National Petroleum Corporation, which provided an opportunity for Jiangsu to optimize its power structure. Since then, natural gas pipelines, LNG receiving stations and corresponding supporting facilities have been gradually established in Jiangsu Province, allowing the natural gas industry to develop vigorously from scratch.

Thanks to the development of the natural gas industry, gas-fired power plants have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. In 2005, the gas-fired power generation unit of Zhangjiagang Huaxing Electric Power Co., Ltd. was successfully connected to the grid once, becoming the first gas-fired power plant in Jiangsu. To date, Jiangsu has 39 power plants with gas-fired power generation capabilities.

Zhangjiagang Huaxing Electric Power Co., Ltd. is the first power plant supplied by PetroChina in Jiangsu. From supplying gas to 1 power plant to supplying gas to 37 power plants, PetroChina supplies gas to almost all gas-fired power plants in Jiangsu. Since the gas supply began in 2005, PetroChina’s resource input in the gas-fired power market in Jiangsu Province has increased year by year, reaching nearly 10 billion cubic meters in 2023, accounting for more than 90% of the gas used for power generation in Jiangsu Province.

During the investigation, the reporter walked into one of the power plants-Nanjing GCL Gas Turbine Thermal Power Co., Ltd. (referred to as Nanjing GCL). There are no towering chimneys here, nor can you see the rising “white smoke”. According to Xiao Youjun, director of the business planning department of Nanjing GCL, this is a power plant that “consumes” natural gas completely. Compared with coal-fired power plants of the same capacity, sulfur dioxide emissions have been reduced by about 90%, and smoke emissions have been reduced by about 100%, with significant benefits in environmental protection.

Facts have proved that in the past 20 years, Jiangsu has made every effort to promote the optimization of energy structure and green energy transformation, and the natural gas power generation industry has developed steadily. The development of PetroChina’s natural gas power generation-related business in Jiangsu has also achieved a huge leap.

Data shows that Jiangsu Province is one of the provinces in China with a large number of power plants and gas resources for power generation, which shows the natural gas sales company’s high attention to the natural gas power generation market in Jiangsu and its confidence and determination to find a path for the integration of gas and electricity.

On July 29, Jiangsu Huadian Yangzhou Power Generation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Huadian Yangzhou) received a power dispatching order, requiring two gas-fired generators to start 1 to 2 hours in advance. They immediately called Gao Feihong, the customer manager of the marketing management department of the natural gas sales Jiangsu Company, hoping to increase the supply of natural gas to meet the power demand in the local area of ​​Yangzhou. After receiving the demand order, Gao Feihong immediately contacted the relevant superior departments for gas allocation, and immediately gave Huadian Yangzhou a clear reply to replenish the gas supply as soon as possible.

Through interviews with reporters, it was learned that Huadian Yangzhou is a power plant that flexibly adjusts the power generation according to the changes in the load of the power grid, and the gas-fired generators it manages have to start and stop hundreds of times every year. In normal operations, it is very common to temporarily change the operating time of the units due to factors such as weather fluctuations.

Zhao Shaohui, head of the marketing department of Huadian Yangzhou, praised: “China Petroleum’s natural gas supply is stable and reliable. Every time we encounter an emergency, we can ensure that our power production is “continuously supplied”!”

In the natural gas power generation industry chain, similar supply guarantee stories are always staged. This made the reporter very curious. What is the reason why natural gas power generation plays a key role in the energy supply in Jiangsu Province?

A relevant person in charge of the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. told reporters that Jiangsu is located in a plain area with limited hydropower resources. At present, there are only three pumped storage power stations, and the power supply adjustment lacks flexibility. At the same time, the installed capacity of new energy is large. Because new energy power generation has the characteristics of randomness, volatility and intermittence, the system adjustment is more difficult.

Far water cannot quench near thirst. The main feature of gas-fired generator sets is that they are easy to start and stop quickly, and can provide flexible peak-shaving power for the power grid to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid. When talking about the changes brought about by gas-fired power generation, Xiao Youjun, who once worked in a coal-fired power plant, had a lot of feelings: “In the past, using coal-fired units, it took about 4 hours from start-up to grid connection. Now using gas-fired units, it only takes 1 hour to complete the grid connection and operation of the entire set of units.”

In addition to helping the power grid peak, natural gas power generation can also help the gas grid peak. The reporter learned that the gas-fired generator set is like a small peak-shaving resource pool, which can not only absorb resources when there is oversupply, but also appropriately reduce the operating load and save gas when the supply and demand relationship changes. For example, summer is the off-season for gas consumption and the peak season for electricity consumption. The unit increases gas consumption and generates more electricity, which can support the peak-shaving of the gas network and relieve the pressure on the power grid. Such “two-way peak-shaving” makes gas-fired electricity an indispensable regulating power source.

The high-quality development of Jiangsu’s economy and society requires close cooperation between gas and electricity to avoid power outages. “If power outages occur, on the one hand, it will affect the daily life of residents, and on the other hand, it is easy to disrupt the normal order of industrial production and operation.” Li Canwei, manager of the marketing management department of the Jiangsu Natural Gas Sales Company, said, “Protecting power plants is indirectly protecting people’s livelihood and development. Escorting the power system is a must-answer question that we must do well.”

On May 24, at a customer symposium organized by the Jiangsu Natural Gas Sales Company, the Jiangsu Supervision Office of the National Energy Administration, the Jiangsu Electric Power Dispatching and Control Center of the State Grid and several power companies gathered together to discuss how to do a good job in the new round of peak summer supply guarantee work.

Regularly holding customer seminars and maintaining daily communication to establish long-term and stable cooperative relationships are one of the valuable experiences accumulated by Jiangsu Natural Gas Sales Company in the practice of natural gas power generation. During the interview, Gao Feihong showed reporters her WeChat chat records with the government, power grid staff and power users. The reporter noticed that “We communicate frequently and communicate more” is the sentence Gao Feihong sends most frequently. The content of the communication ranges from asking about the operation of the unit to reminding to fill in the operation plan, which can be said to be meticulous.

“By strengthening external communication and follow-up, we can understand the needs of all parties in a timely manner, and then adjust and optimize our services.” Gao Feihong said.

Adhering to internal planning and management is another experience accumulated by Jiangsu Natural Gas Sales Company in practice. To promote the steady development of the natural gas power generation industry, gas supply companies need to plan ahead and formulate corresponding plans and deployments.

“Every September and October, we will make plans for the next year’s power generation gas use in advance and finalize the ‘plate’ of power generation gas use early.” Li Canwei said.

The gas-power special team just established this year is a microcosm of the natural gas sales Jiangsu Company’s work to strengthen the management of gas-power business. Yang Kun, manager of the market development department, is a member of the gas-electricity special team. He said that in the future, the gas-electricity special team will compile a briefing every half a month and conduct a special report once a month to fully promote the integrated development of “natural gas power generation + new energy”.

Looking to the future, the new gas-electricity will continue the current layout – distributed in areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta where gas sources are guaranteed and there is market demand. As far as Jiangsu is concerned, with the rapid economic development, the demand for electricity will continue to be strong. According to the forecast of China International Engineering Consulting Corporation, the proportion of natural gas in the fuel structure of Jiangsu power generation will increase to 47.6% in 2030, maintaining a relatively fast growth rate.

It can be seen that the natural gas power generation industry in Jiangsu Province will usher in a broader development space. Against this background, the person in charge of the marketing business of the natural gas sales company believes that it is necessary to continue the good experience and practices, and make efforts both internally and externally to contribute new strength to the integrated development of gas-electricity in Jiangsu Province. On how to further play the value of natural gas power generation, he also gave suggestions: “I hope the government can improve the top-level policy mechanism, optimize the gas-electricity coordinated market mechanism, and help the sustainable development of gas-electricity.”

Autumn has already begun, the summer heat is hard to dissipate, and the hot weather is not over yet. According to statistics, from June 15 to August 15, the total amount of natural gas supplied by the natural gas sales company to Jiangsu power plants increased by 11.2% year-on-year, and the highest daily gas supply exceeded 55 million cubic meters, reaching a historical peak. In the next step, the natural gas sales company will do a good job in the final work of meeting the peak summer demand, so that the two-way flow of gas and electricity will continue to be transformed into the surging momentum of economic and social development, empowering a better life and lighting up the poetic and picturesque Jiangnan.

industry newsAugust 24, 2024

Classification of Diesel Generator Sets

In addition, according to the purpose and use of diesel generator sets, they can be divided into standby generator sets, common generator sets, war-ready generator sets and emergency generator sets.

Generator Sets

1. Standby Generator Sets

Under normal circumstances, the power required by users is supplied by the city power. When the city power limit is disconnected or other reasons interrupt the power supply, the generator set is set up to ensure the basic production and life of users. This type of generator set is located in important power users such as industrial and mining enterprises, hospitals, hotels, banks, airports and radio stations where the city power supply is tight.

2. Common Generator Sets

This type of generator set operates all year round and is generally located in areas far away from the power grid (or city power) or near industrial and mining enterprises to meet the construction, production and living electricity needs of these places. At present, in areas with relatively rapid emergency development, common diesel generator sets with short construction periods are needed to meet the needs of users. This type of generator set generally has a large capacity.

3. War-ready generator sets

This type of generator set is used to supply power to civil air defense and national defense facilities. It has the nature of a standby generator set in normal times, and has the nature of a common generator set after the city power is destroyed in wartime. This type of generator set is generally installed underground and has a certain degree of protection.

4. Emergency generator set

For electrical equipment that will cause major losses or personal accidents if the city power is suddenly interrupted, emergency generator sets are often set up to provide emergency power to these equipment, such as fire protection systems, evacuation lighting, elevators, control systems of automated production lines, and important communication systems in high-rise buildings. This type of generator set needs to be installed with a self-starting diesel generator set, and the degree of automation is required to be high.

The above are some basic classifications of diesel generator sets. Users can choose suitable diesel generator sets according to their needs and suitable environments. For the use of diesel generator sets, in addition to the correct selection of matching models, regular maintenance is also required in later use.

industry newsAugust 24, 2024

Top 10 Diesel Generator Brands Diesel Generator Manufacturers Ranking

What brand of diesel generator set is good? The list of the top ten brands of diesel generator sets in 2024 has been released after professional evaluation! The top ten are: Caterpillar, Cummins, Volvopenta, Sanchong, TELLHOW, COOLTECH, FIRMAN, Weichai, Calsion, Foguang Power Generation, etc. The top ten brands of diesel generator sets and the list of famous diesel generator set brands are brands with good reputation, high popularity and strength. The ranking is in no particular order and is for reference only. Want to know what brand of diesel generator set is good? You can compare more and choose the one you are satisfied with! Diesel generator set brands belong to Class 7 of trademark classification.

 

industry newsAugust 23, 2024

The first! This generator set was successfully developed

On August 22, the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences learned that after five years of technical research and engineering construction, the first supercritical carbon dioxide solar thermal power generation unit was successfully developed. The third-party test results show that the power generation power, heat-to-work conversion efficiency and other indicators of the generator unit fully meet the requirements of the project task book.

It is reported that the generator unit was developed with the support of the “Research on Key Basic Issues of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solar Thermal Power Generation” project. The project recently passed the project performance evaluation organized by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. After five hours of defense and expert questioning, the expert group gave a high evaluation of the project and recommended its promotion and implementation.

In recent years, my country’s solar thermal power generation industry has shown a booming development trend, but the cost of solar thermal power generation has not fallen as expected. Supercritical carbon dioxide solar thermal power generation technology, as the most potential low-cost, high-efficiency and high-flexibility technology, has attracted widespread attention from global research institutions and industries.

“However, the core equipment used in supercritical carbon dioxide solar thermal power generation technology, such as high-temperature particle absorbers and supercritical carbon dioxide generators, are in the research and exploration stage worldwide.” said Wang Zhifeng, project leader and researcher at the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Over the past five years, the project team has focused on engineering design, organically integrated basic theoretical research, technical equipment development and system integration, and actively promoted scientific research and empirical engineering construction.

“We have overcome the difficulties in designing and manufacturing core equipment such as solar high-temperature particle heat absorption, fluidized bed particle/carbon dioxide heat exchange, and 200-kilowatt supercritical carbon dioxide generator sets. We are the first in the world to realize the operation of supercritical carbon dioxide solar thermal power generation systems including high-coke ratio focusing fields, particle heat absorbers, particle/supercritical carbon dioxide heat exchangers, supercritical carbon dioxide compressor turbine units and high-speed motors.” Wang Zhifeng said that the project will effectively promote the development of my country’s “low-cost-high-efficiency-high-flexibility” solar thermal technology and provide technical support for the construction of my country’s new energy bases.