Belt and Road Initiative promoting new energy development

Only through international cooperation and interconnectivity in energy infrastructure can the new energy industry achieve significant development, and the Belt and Road Initiative is providing an effective platform to strengthen such interconnectivity, according to experts attending an international seminar on new energy development and technologies in Frankfurt on June 16.

The State Grid Corporation of China and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) co-hosted the event attracting more than 100 representatives from government departments, power enterprises and research institutions of China, Germany, the United States and Russia.

Shu Yinbiao, president of the State Grid, told the seminar China had introduced a series of supportive policies on new energy research and utilization, thus making an outstanding contribution to global emission reductions.

In 2016, its installed capacity of wind power and solar power reached 150 million kilowatts and 80 million kilowatts respectively, both leading the world.

Ansgar Hinz, CEO of the Germany-based VDE, one of Europe's largest scientific-technical associations, said the production of new energy was a highly flexible process for decentralization, and its cross-regional characteristics highlighted the importance of international cooperation to ensure synergizing between production and consumption and effective utilization and transfer. In this sense, China's proposal for international cooperation in boosting interconnectivity coincided with market needs.

The State Grid has been cooperating with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology, Technical University of Berlin, the Siemens company and the German Grid Corporation to carry out research in various areas, including new energy grid connections, consumption and storage.

The State Grid is also actively cooperating with six countries on concrete projects and with the International Organization for Standardization. 

Manuel Heitor, Portugal's minister of science, technology and higher education, said interconnectivity in new energy means building an Energy Silk Road. Relevant countries along the routes desperately needed to increase their research and technological inputs as the motive power for the development of renewable energy.

Frans Vreeswijk, general secretary and CEO of IEC, said the fruitful cooperation between the State Grid and IEC showed China had become an active contributor to international energy cooperation, and was playing a leading role in boosting green and low-carbon development.

Cedrik Neike, a member of the management board of Siemens, said the Belt and Road Initiative could help many developing countries realize leapfrog development in the power industry, and directly embrace the latest grid generation advances. It was encouraging that China accepted its responsibilities and was working together with other countries to ensure green sustainable development of the global economy.