Since 2024, China Three Gorges Renewables (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation, has made great progress in its efforts to build a new energy industrial internet platform.
To date, the platform has connected over 6,000 pieces of equipment and more than 38 million monitoring points at new energy power stations nationwide, forming an intelligent operation and maintenance system covering production monitoring, fault detection and early warning, as well as emergency command.
The Lhunze Solar Power and Energy Storage Station in the Xizang Autonomous Region employs drones with high-definition cameras and infrared thermal imagers to achieve full scanning of the station zone. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The fault detection and early warning system is currently equipped with 60 algorithm models and connects to over 20 million monitoring points. Through big data analysis and algorithm-based evaluation, the system can detect signs that equipment is entering a sub-optimal state and alert operation and maintenance personnel to intervene at an early stage.
The Shapa Offshore Wind Farm in Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, for example, once avoided a potential turbine failure with the support of the system. The system detected an excessive temperature difference between the gearbox oil and the inlet of a wind turbine. Though the wind turbine was operating normally, the algorithm identified a potential fault lying in the temperature control valve. An early warning was triggered, and a work order was issued. Maintenance personnel were dispatched to replace the faulty valve in a timely manner, thus preventing potential gearbox damage and economic losses caused by a wind turbine shutdown.
Digital and intelligent transformation has also brought profound changes to safety management.
The “emergency command center” module of the platform has connected to more than 3,000 individual smart terminals and over 30,000 video surveillance units in real time, enabling remote viewing of on-site operation and thus achieving timely coordination of production scheduling, video conferences and remote command.
An increasing number of new energy power stations are transforming into intelligent stations with “unmanned operation and supervision” through digital and intelligent technological upgrading.
The Lhunze Solar Power and Energy Storage Station in the Xizang Autonomous Region, located at an altitude of 4,200 meters, has realized unmanned operation with all inspection drones, track robots, wireless temperature sensors and other intelligent devices connected to the platform.
At the Yingze Shu’an Wind Farm in Shanxi Province, robotic dogs and intelligent sensors have conducted all-weather inspections, transmitting data back to the platform in real time.
At the Yingze Shu’an Wind Farm in Shanxi Province, a variety of smart sensors, drones and robotic dogs are employed to transmit data to the platform in a timely manner. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
As data is shared and transmitted more efficiently, reducing the need for on-site monitoring and inspections, the digital transformation at grassroots power stations is advancing the development of a diverse, complementary, safe, efficient, clean and low-carbon modern energy system.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
