China, in a critical window into implementing its dual-carbon targets, is reshaping its vast and complex energy system.
The arduousness of this task lies in the fact that with the deepening of industrialization and urbanization, China's energy demand will inevitably continue to grow, and the transformation from "fossil energy dominance" to "clean energy leading" must be completed in huge increments and stocks. Historically, it took more than fifty years for each new energy source to penetrate the energy market and reach a significant proportion. China's energy change goals and determination are unprecedented: in 2020, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption in China's energy structure will be about 16%, and by 2060, this proportion will reach more than 80%. By then, 90% of electricity will come from clean energy.
Due to the inherent volatility of renewable energy generation, the convergence of old and new energy sources, especially the increasing proportion of renewable energy grids, is creating new challenges to energy security. How to steadily achieve the carbon reduction target while ensuring energy security? This depends on the integration and complementarity of different energy varieties and technologies. Ge Ge's "GE China Energy Transformation White Paper" recently released believes that the energy transition needs to be gradual and comprehensive, taking into account multiple factors such as resource endowments, energy security and long-term emission reduction. Technological innovation is not only the key to solving the dilemma of energy transformation, but also the key driving force of energy transformation.
"China's high-coal energy structure, urbanization development and shorter transformation cycle make the task of energy transformation must take into account both economy and stability." Xiang Weiming, Global Vice President of GE and President of GE China, said that globally, GE is committed to solving the "three dilemmas" of energy transformation, namely energy accessibility, reliability and sustainability; in China, GE focuses on achieving a balance between energy supply stability and consumer economy, and continuously introduces and develops the most suitable energy solutions for China.
For a long time, green technology innovation has penetrated all areas of GE's business. In 2020, GE proposed the "3050 Sustainable Development Goals", which are highly consistent with China's goal of achieving low-carbon development. Ge is helping China's new low-carbon landscape with the world's leading wind power and natural gas power generation technologies, complementing new energy sources with regulated power sources such as gas and electricity and pumped storage, while accelerating the exploration of a more sustainable future of aviation.
Flexible power supply, the "key puzzle" of new power systems
Compared with coal power, clean and low carbon is a natural advantage of natural gas power generation. From the perspective of the level of carbon dioxide emissions, gas-fired power plants reduce emissions by 50%-60% compared with coal-fired power plants. But in new power systems, the role of gas and electricity goes far beyond that.
With the rapid expansion of new energy, the physical form, technical basis and operation mechanism of the power system are undergoing fundamental changes. The higher the proportion of wind power and photovoltaic power generation with obvious characteristics of volatility, randomness and intermittentness in the grid, the more urgent the demand for flexible power sources in the grid. Only with sufficient flexible power supplies can we "smooth" the "wayward" renewable energy and thus maintain the security and stability of the grid.
A May 2021 study by the International Energy Agency showed that as the proportion of renewable or non-fossil energy increases, the global energy system is to achieve net zero emissions, and the current flexibility of the power system needs to be increased by 4 times to support the stable, reliable and flexible supply of future systems.
Although the scale and growth rate of New Energy in China ranks first in the world, the flexible power supply of the domestic power system has been insufficient for a long time, and the contradiction between the two is becoming increasingly prominent. Before energy storage technology breaks through economic constraints and achieves large-scale commercial applications, gas-fired power generation and pumped storage are the main flexible power supply options. The data cited in the "White Paper" shows that the current proportion of gas-fired power generation and pumped storage energy in China's power system is only about 6%, while the united States, Germany, France, Japan, Italy and other developed countries account for more than 10% of the gas power generation and pumped storage energy system, compared with developed countries, China and developed countries, flexible, efficient and clean regulatory power supply accounted for a large gap.
Gas power will not only assume the role of clean substitution in the orderly withdrawal of coal power, but also have high-quality peak regulation and frequency regulation performance that matches the high proportion of renewable energy and ensures the stable operation of the power grid. The "White Paper" believes that to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, to expand the scale of natural gas utilization in many fields such as industry, construction, transportation, and electricity, and to give full play to the characteristics of gas-fired power generation with high efficiency, flexible operation, fast start and stop speed, short construction cycle, and small footprint, etc., the gas-power peak regulation is an important part of the construction of a new power system with new energy as the main body, and it is one of the important ways to help energy carbon peak and build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system.
After years of technological innovation and model changes, GE's current most advanced 9HA gas turbines are comparable to those of the same level, and their performance in terms of flexibility, operational efficiency, economic performance, environmental performance, etc. is remarkable, and its excellent peak regulation ability and fast start-stop and other advantages can be well complemented by renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar energy, effectively hedging the grid fluctuations caused by the instability of renewable energy, playing the role of grid stabilizer and power supply fulcrum, so it has also been widely recognized in the global regional market.
At a time of sharp fluctuations in international energy prices, the fuel cost of gas and electricity has risen significantly. In this case, how to improve the economics of gas and electricity to maximize its role as a clean and high-quality peak shaving source?
In this regard, Xu Xin, general manager of GE Gas-fired Power Generation China, believes that the impact of rising gas prices can be buffered through "open source throttling". The so-called open source refers to further strengthening the characteristics of gas and electricity as a flexible power source through technological transformation, and helping gas-fired power plants to obtain higher benefits in power auxiliary services. Throttling refers to improving the efficiency of the unit through technological innovation, thereby reducing the pressure on fuel costs.
According to the White Paper, China's first GE 9HA.01 gas-fired power plant, China's Tianjin Huadian Junliangcheng Power Plant, has been running stably and with a combined cycle efficiency of 63.36%, which is the most efficient of the HA-class gas turbine units currently in operation in China, with an annual carbon dioxide reduction of 1.8 million tons.
GE 9HA gas turbines
As the most technologically mature, economical and flexible regulating power source with the most large-scale development conditions, pumped storage will also provide important support for ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power system, and is an important guarantee for the large-scale development of renewable energy.
From a technical point of view, a pumped storage power station is like a "large battery" made of water, which converts electric energy into potential energy for water when the grid load is at a low point, and then converts water energy into electricity at the peak of the load. From shutdown to full load operation, pumped storage power plants take only tens of seconds to minutes.
GE joined hands with Three Gorges to build a high-quality hydropower project in Wudongde
The golden period of development of China's pumped storage industry has arrived. The National Energy Administration issued the "Medium- and Long-term Development Plan for Pumped Storage (2021-2035)" issued in September last year, proposing that the total scale of pumped storage power stations in China is 32.49 million kilowatts (Note: 1GW = 1 million kilowatts), and by 2025, the scale of pumped storage production will reach more than 62 million kilowatts; by 2030, the total scale of production will reach about 120 million kilowatts. This means that China's pumped storage capacity will nearly triple in 10 years.
As the world's leading hydropower company, GE has been producing pumped storage hydroelectric generator sets for the past 50 years, and has produced 139 pumped storage hydroelectric generator sets with a total output of 22,000MW, which is widely used in various pumped storage hydropower stations.
GE Hydro China Typical Case: Anhui Jinzhai Power Station (Pumped Storage)
Xu Aijun, deputy general manager of GE HydroPower China, said that through continuous innovation, GE has developed variable-speed pumped storage units in recent years, which can more effectively use limited hydraulic resources and have higher efficiency, flexibility and grid balance capabilities. The first variable speed project unit was commissioned in Switzerland in 2018. Leveraging global experience and local production, GE will seize new market opportunities in China's pumped storage sector.
Technological innovation paves the way for a zero-carbon future
In the process of the energy revolution in which the old and the new alternate, wind power, especially offshore wind power, has become an important path to promote energy transformation.
According to public information, the mainland has a coastline of about 18,000 kilometers in length and abundant offshore wind energy resources, which is suitable for large-scale development and construction of offshore wind farms. By the end of 2021, the installed capacity of offshore wind power in mainland China will rank first in the world。 Coastal provinces have developed economies, but the total energy consumption accounts for about half of the country and the energy consumption is still dominated by fossil energy, carbon emission reduction pressure is large, and offshore wind power has become one of the main starting points for adjusting its energy structure.
According to the statistics of the White Paper, in 2021 and early 2022, the planning and support policies for offshore wind power in various coastal areas across the country have been introduced, of which Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, Hainan, Jiangsu, Guangxi and other regions have initially clarified their offshore wind power development goals. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the total installed capacity of offshore wind power in china exceeded 100GW, and with the continuous decline in offshore wind turbine prices and the gradual reduction of construction costs, offshore wind power will usher in explosive growth in the "14th Five-Year Plan" stage.
Typically, Guangdong, a major economic and power province, has formulated an ambitious offshore wind power development plan to continue to develop abundant offshore wind power resources. According to the "Guangdong Offshore Wind Power Development Plan (2017-2030)", Guangdong plans to complete and put into operation the installed capacity of offshore wind power by the end of 2030 of about 30 million kilowatts, forming an offshore wind power industry system with coordinated development of complete machine manufacturing, key parts production, offshore construction and related service industries, and building the offshore wind power industry into one of the dominant industries with international competitiveness in the province.
Guangdong offshore wind power development plan also pointed out that economy is an important factor restricting offshore wind power, compared with traditional fossil energy and the current mature technology of photovoltaic, hydropower, the cost of offshore wind power is still high; in addition, offshore wind power has high requirements for equipment and construction technology, and the unit needs to have marine environmental challenges such as typhoon resistance and salt spray corrosion; and the site selection and construction are affected by objective factors such as sea areas, the procedures are relatively complex, and the preliminary work takes a long time.
For a series of challenges, technological innovation is essential for enterprises.
In 2019, GE invested in Jieyang, Guangdong Province, in its first offshore wind final assembly site in China, which is also THE second global production line for GE to produce its largest offshore wind turbine, the Haliade-X, to date. In March, the first locally assembled Haliade-X 13MW offshore wind turbines were shipped from Jieyang to the UK's Dogger Bank offshore wind farm. In 2020, GE's Offshore Wind Operation and Development Center in Guangzhou was put into use, which and the final assembly base constitute an important fulcrum of the regional offshore wind power ecosystem based in Guangdong and radiating the Asia-Pacific region, which will help optimize the regional energy structure and transform and upgrade the industrial chain.
GE Offshore Wind Turbine Assembly Base in Jieyang City, Guangdong Province
The "White Paper" points out that large-scale, lightweight and intelligent are the general trends in the development of offshore wind turbine technology, and also the objective needs to achieve intensive sea use and reduce initial investment and later operation and maintenance costs.
At present, GE manufactures and assembles haliade-X offshore wind turbines in Guangdong, with a maximum power rating of up to 14MW, designed according to iec-IB wind speed classes, and can withstand an extreme wind speed of 70m/s. Its 12MW and 13MW units have T-class (typhoon level) certification issued by det NorgesKehl DNV, an authoritative independent certification body, which can effectively resist extreme wind conditions such as typhoons throughout the life cycle, maintain safe, efficient and stable operations, and achieve higher full hours than benchmark fans in the industry, even at medium and low wind speeds.
GE Haliade-X14MW offshore wind turbine
Lin Qi, general manager of GE Offshore Wind China, said that at present, offshore wind power is moving into COSCO waters, and costs such as offshore construction and wind turbine hoisting have become the main expenditures for wind farm construction. GE Haliade-X units can significantly reduce the upfront investment per kilowatt, providing a good technical platform for offshore wind to meet new opportunities and solve new challenges.
According to the white paper, GE is also working with offshore engineering company Glosten to explore the application prospects of floating offshore wind turbines, with an eye to improving the efficiency and stability of energy transmission in offshore wind farms.
In its Carbon Neutrality Roadmap for China's Energy System, released in September 2021, the International Energy Agency estimated that the main sources of carbon dioxide in China are the power sector (48%), industry (36%), transportation (8%) and buildings (5%). In addition to electricity, transportation is also a major carbon sector that cannot be ignored. The White Paper points out that in the future, the construction of a convenient and low-carbon transportation system will be the only yardstick to measure whether the construction of aviation, railways and highways is in line with economic and social development.
GE Global Vice President and GE China President Xiang Weiming introduced that in the aviation field, GE and its joint ventures have long been working with partners to carry out R&D innovations in areas covering aircraft engine architecture, aerodynamics, materials science and fuel, and continue to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions of aircraft. In terms of narrow-body machines, CFM International, a joint venture between GE and Safran, the LEAP-1C engine for the C919 and the LEAP-1A engine for the A320neo have reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 40% compared with the engines of the 1970s and 1980s. In terms of wide-body aircraft, GE Aviation's GEnx engine for boeing 787 has achieved a 40% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the CF6 engine in the 1970s.
The CARP-1C engine is the only Western power unit of comacity C919 domestic trunk airliner
To further help the aviation industry save energy and reduce emissions, GE, as an aero engine manufacturer, is developing new carbon reduction technologies, including hybrid electric flight, hydrogen fuel engines, and 100% sustainable aviation fuels, which are expected to further improve fuel efficiency and thus reduce the same amount of carbon emissions. Last year, GE and CFM International launched the "RISE Sustainable Engine Advanced Technology Verification Project", which is expected to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by more than 20% compared with the currently widely used LEAP engine, and achieve 100% compatibility with alternative energy sources such as sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen.
CFM RISE engine technology validation project – open fan
Last December, United used LEAP-1B engines to perform the world's first passenger flight with 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. Xiang Weiming said that as the technology continues to improve, if the cost of sustainable aviation fuel is further reduced, to the same level as oil or current aviation kerosene, or even slightly higher, the technology is expected to be rapidly and large-scale promotion. "Almost all GE engines can run on sustainable aviation fuel, and it is no longer a problem technically."
GE9X engine
Due to the multiple advantages of high energy density, diverse sources, zero terminal discharge, and wide range of uses, hydrogen energy is widely considered to be the ultimate energy source. GE is continuing to increase innovation in a number of hydrogen energy utilization technology routes.
According to the White Paper, GE's HA gas turbines can already reach 50% hydrogen combustion, and China's first natural gas-hydrogen dual-fuel 9HA power plant will land in 2023 at the Huizhou Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone Integrated Energy Station under Guangdong Energy Group. The two units of the power station will use the 9HA.01 heavy-duty gas turbine manufactured by GE and Harbin Electric Joint Venture to achieve a 10% hydrogen mixing ratio and natural gas mixing combustion. GE has also developed a technology roadmap to increase the hydrogen-burning capacity of HA-class gas turbines to 100 percent by 2030.
Renderings of the integrated energy station in The Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone in Huizhou
Xu Xin, general manager of GE Gas Power China, said that as the cost of renewable energy continues to decline, a "green hydrogen era" with competitive prices will follow. After reaching 100% hydrogen combustion, it can not only solve the energy safety problem and improve the reliability of the grid, but also further improve the utilization rate of renewable energy.
In the aviation sector, GE has begun to develop hydrogen-fueled engines to reduce carbon emissions in flight. In February, CFM International, a joint venture between GE and Safran, announced a partnership with Airbus on a hydrogen demonstration project to conduct ground and flight tests of hydrogen-fueled engines, laying the groundwork for zero-emission aircraft to be commissioned by 2035. This is another revolutionary emission reduction technology project announced by GE in the past year, following the aforementioned RISE project and NASA's hybrid power project.
"In the future, GE will continue to bring together global wisdom and experience by promoting low-carbon operations, investment in innovative research and development, and industrial chain cooperation, and work with local partners to help China achieve a low-carbon transformation of high-carbon industries such as power, industry and transportation, and drive a more sustainable future," Xiang said. ”