Sun Tingyang, a reporter from China Economic Weekly, reported | Beijing
At the regular press conference of the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 9, Li Sen, director of the overall planning department of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, said that the carbon emissions of the ice-making technology used in venues such as the "National Speed Skating Hall" tended to be close to zero; the snowmaking in the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou areas of the Beijing Winter Olympics basically came from surface water, and the electricity used for snowmaking came entirely from "green" electricity. Mary Sarois, director of brand and sustainability at the International Olympic Committee, said that the series of measures taken by the Beijing Winter Olympics to save energy and environmental protection, such as low-carbon transportation and low-carbon venues, are of landmark positive significance.
Ice with snow, carbon and electricity
According to public information, the four ice venues such as the National Speed Skating Hall and the Capital Gymnasium use carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice making technology, which is the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics to use the most advanced, environmentally friendly and energy-saving technology. This technology not only reduces the destruction of the ozone layer by traditional refrigerants, but also greatly reduces the energy consumption of the refrigeration system, which can achieve energy savings of more than 30% compared with traditional refrigeration methods.
Reducing carbon emissions, mainly by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. If carbon dioxide can be used effectively, it can be described as "turning waste into treasure", which directly reduces carbon emissions.
Using carbon dioxide transcritical direct cold to make ice is to form a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid by heating and pressing, and then cooling and reducing the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid to minus 20 degrees Celsius to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Such liquids evaporate to absorb heat, cool the liquid water, and complete the process of refrigeration and ice making.
The carbon dioxide refrigerant used in these four ice venues is obtained from the collection and purification of industrial by-products. At the beginning of the Winter Olympics, at the end of 2021, the staff completed the filling process for the first time, and the four ice venues reduced carbon emissions by a total of 900 tons.
(National Speed Skating Hall, Image source: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Olympic and Paralympic Environmental Heritage Report (2022) )
Using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, the global warming potential is 1, which is 1/4000 of the traditional refrigerant using the same amount, and the ozone depletion potential is 0, which is currently the optimal refrigerant that takes into account safety and environmental protection. A large amount of high-quality waste heat generated during the refrigeration process can be recycled for athletes' domestic hot water, ice surface maintenance and ice pouring, ice melting pool melting and other scenarios. In the case of the National Speed Skating Hall, for example, 2 million kWh of electricity can be saved a year.
How does this ice affect the results of the competition?
It is understood that traditional ice rinks usually use indirect refrigeration, such as the use of Freon refrigerants, glycol and other refrigerants, because the refrigerants are often not heated at a fixed temperature, so the ice temperature difference of ice rinks is generally as high as 1.5 degrees Celsius to 2 degrees Celsius.
The use of carbon dioxide cooling can control the temperature difference between the ice surface of the site within 0.5 degrees Celsius. The smaller the temperature difference between the ice surface, the more uniform the hardness of the ice surface. Coupled with the smooth ice surface, it provides a high-quality playing field for athletes.
Since the start of the Winter Olympics, the National Speed Skating Hall has produced new Olympic records almost every day, which many athletes call "the most perfect arena".
COFCO Engineering (301058.SZ) was listed on the Shenzhen GemNext in September 2021, and revealed in the prospectus that relying on the existing cold chain professional engineering service experience, the company is actively developing ice and snow and special refrigeration engineering business, in-depth service to the Beijing Winter Olympics, and undertaking the design of the National Speed Skating Hall, the National Bobsleigh Center, the Alpine Ski Center and other Winter Olympic projects.
In December 2021, COFCO Engineering revealed in an institutional survey that the refrigeration system of the National Bobsleigh Center project undertaken by the company adopts the environmentally friendly natural refrigeration working fluid "ammonia", which can still ensure the stable operation of the track at 20 degrees Celsius in the outdoor environment, providing a longer training cycle for domestic and international athletes. With a total length of 1,975 meters and a height difference of 121 meters, the main track of the project contains 16 corners, making it the only Olympic track in Asia with a 360° swing.
The ice making of the Beijing Winter Olympics is so environmentally friendly, what about snow making?
It is reported that the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics in the United States for the first time to use artificial snow, in recent years, large winter sports events, including recent Winter Olympics, have used artificial snow in large quantities. Compared with natural snow, artificial snow is more stable in nature and state, and can meet the requirements of different races and different tracks.
Li Sen, director of the Overall Planning Department of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, introduced that the snowmaking in the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou areas of the Beijing Winter Olympics basically comes from surface water, and the electricity used for snowmaking comes entirely from "green" electricity.
In addition to "snowmaking" with green electricity, the Beijing Winter Olympics put forward the goal of 100% of the conventional electricity consumption demand of all venues to be met by green electricity, and ensured the realization of this goal through the construction of Zhangbei ± 500kv flexible DC power grid project and supporting projects.
Most of the "green electricity" comes from photovoltaic power generation and wind power generation, and the stability is weak, how to solve it?
According to reports, the first unit of the Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station was put into operation at the end of December 2021. The power station is located in Fengning Manchu Autonomous County, Chengde City, Hebei Province, there are two reservoirs, the difference of 425 meters, in the trough of electricity consumption, the use of excess wind power and photovoltaics to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir, equivalent to storing electricity, in the peak period of electricity and then release water to the lower reservoir to generate electricity.
According to the data, Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station is a key green energy project of the Beijing Winter Olympics supporting the 500 kV flexible DC project in Zhangbei, with a total installed capacity of 3.6 million kilowatts, which is the world's largest pumped storage power station with the largest installed capacity, and is known as the world's largest "charging treasure". The project can consume 8.8 billion kWh of excess electricity per year, generate 6.612 billion kWh of electricity per year, and reduce carbon emissions by 1.2 million tons, equivalent to afforestation of 16,000 hectares.
"Hydrogen" traffic
It is reported that among the various vehicles used in this Winter Paralympic Games, energy-saving and clean energy vehicles account for 100% of passenger cars and 85.84% of all vehicles, which is the highest in previous Winter Olympics.
Beijing Yanqing Division and Hebei Zhangjiakou Division have higher requirements for new energy vehicles. The National Alpine Ski Center in Beijing Yanqing Division, the top highest point of Xiaohaituo Peak, with an altitude of 2198 meters, and the north side of Xiaohaituo Mountain is 2241 meters above sea level, which is the second highest peak in Beijing. Located in the Genting Ski Park in Zhangjiakou Racing District, Hebei Province, the lowest temperature in 2020 was minus 40 degrees Celsius. New energy vehicles drive on steep mountain roads in severe cold weather, and have certain requirements for low temperature power performance and climbing performance.
Hydrogen fuel vehicles are zero carbon environmental protection, and the power is guaranteed in low temperature environments, which is suitable for the environment of Yanqing Racing Area in Beijing and Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province. During the Winter Olympics, the vehicle used for the travel service of the event personnel is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Both the Yanqing Division in Beijing and the Zhangjiakou Division in Hebei Province use hydrogen fuel cell buses. Toyota motor vehicles provide some vehicles.
Toyota Motor Corporation, as a global partner of the International Olympic Committee, has established a vehicle procurement team together with the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee to jointly formulate a car plan for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
"The Olympic use of the car to fix the shape, before and after lasted nearly two and a half years." Niu Yu, director of Toyota's China Olympic Department, introduced the finalization process of the Olympic car in an interview with China Economic Weekly. For example, he said, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee is meticulous enough to have specific requirements for vehicle tires and wheel sizes.
Toyota Motor corporation and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee will fully communicate and determine the model plan in the second half of 2021. Toyota Motor offers a total of 2,205 official vehicles including the mirai II, Costa hydrogen engine, Yize E-engine, Asian Dragon, Crown Land Amplifier, RAV4 Rongfang and Corolla. Among them, MIRAI II., Costa Hydrogen Engine and Costa Hydrogen Engine Welfare Vehicle use hydrogen as fuel to contribute to the realization of the "green Olympic Games" of the Winter Olympics. The welfare vehicle comes with its own wheelchair lifting device, and those who rely on wheelchairs can ride on their own.
(Costa Hydrogen Engine Welfare Vehicle, photo by Xiao Yi, reporter of China Economic Weekly)
From the finalization of the model in the second half of 2021 to January 2022, Toyota Motor will deliver all vehicles to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, leaving Toyota with insufficient time for scheduling and vehicle transportation.
Among the vehicles provided by Toyota Motor, except for the pure imported hydrogen fuel cell vehicle Mirai II, the rest of the vehicles are produced by FAW Toyota, GAC Toyota, and Sichuan FAW Toyota.
Guaranteed on-time delivery is also an "interlude".
For example, the models provided by GAC Toyota were originally planned to be transported by water from Guangzhou to Tianjin Port, and after landing, they were transported by land to Beijing. However, during the transport vehicle stage, there was a new crown pneumonia epidemic in Tianjin. If the original plan is followed, the delivery time will be extended. In view of the relatively stable epidemic situation in Dalian at that time, Toyota Motor adjusted its transportation plan, and after the vehicle was transported to Tianjin Port, it was reloaded from transshipment to Dalian Port in Liaoning Province, and was shipped to Beijing by land after landing.
Niu Yu, director of toyota's China Olympic Department, introduced that during the Olympic Games, the service personnel of Toyota China, FAW Toyota, GAC Toyota, and Toyota's Beijing dealers lived in Beijing, Yanqing, Beijing, and Zhangjiakou, Hebei, and the hotels near the parking depots in these three competition areas ensured that they would rush to the scene as soon as there was a need.
After the conclusion of the Olympic Games, "the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle MIRAI II and Costa will remain in China to continue to operate, and Toyota motor will continue to do a good job in after-sales service as always." The experience of running during the Olympic Games will also be fed back to Toyota's R&D and manufacturing department to promote subsequent product development. Niu Yu said.
It is understood that the hydrogen fuel cell bus put into operation in Beijing's Yanqing District during the Winter Olympics will be used for public transportation in Yanqing District after the game to change the energy structure of public transportation.
Editor-in-charge: Yao Kun
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