On February 27, 2025, it was reported that Ningxia's first digital and intelligent 110 thousand volt substation, Yuanlong Substation, was officially completed and put into operation in Minning Town, Yongning County, Yinchuan City. This is not only the first power transmission and transformation project of Ningxia Power Grid in 2025, but also the first substation in Northwest China and the third in China to be certified by the LEED Gold Award for International Green Buildings. The substation was built by the State Grid Yinchuan Power Supply Company with an investment of 97.57 million yuan, with a main transformer capacity of 50 megavolt ampere and a total line length of 25.6 kilometers.
1. Technological innovation and intelligent application
The construction of Yuanlong substation adopts the design concept of carbon reduction and carbon reduction in the whole life cycle, and is equipped with intelligent equipment and a green energy consumption system integrating wind, solar and storage. The station is equipped with 763 cadmium telluride photovoltaic power generation modules, with a total installed capacity of 117 kilowatts and an annual power generation capacity of 138 megawatt hours. In addition, the substation is also equipped with a small vertical axis wind turbine and a 40 kW/100 kWh energy storage system, forming a green energy consumption system integrating wind, solar and storage. This design not only improves energy efficiency, but also reduces dependence on traditional energy sources.
The application of intelligent equipment is also a highlight of Yuanlong substation. The station has introduced a drone "supply warehouse" to realize intelligent inspection, intelligent auxiliary control and status awareness, and meet the standard of digital and intelligent unattended. This intelligent O&M model not only improves work efficiency, but also reduces labor costs and security risks. In addition, the substation also uses digital twin technology for three-dimensional modeling, intuitively displays the important operation data, location status and other information of the main equipment in the three-dimensional scene, and can independently set the inspection path planning one-click intelligent inspection, automatically generate inspection reports, and automatically screen abnormal data, which greatly reduces the inspection pressure of the staff.
2. Environmental benefits and sustainable development
The positive impact of the completion and operation of the Yuanlong substation on the environment is obvious. It can save 141,700 kWh of electricity in the station and reduce carbon emissions by 111.23 tons every year. In addition, a number of environmentally friendly processes were adopted in the design and construction stage of the substation, such as tire waste asphalt roads, roof light guide pipes, etc., and the construction period was shortened by 30%. These measures not only reduce carbon emissions during construction, but also improve the environmental performance of the substation.
Figure: Ningxia's first digital and intelligent substation: 97.57 million yuan investment, annual carbon reduction of 111.23 tons
3. Economic benefits and social impacts
From the perspective of economic benefits, the construction of Yuanlong substation provides a reliable power supply guarantee for the "green power town" in Minning, which helps to promote the development of the local economy. The intelligent and green design of the substation also reduces operating costs and improves energy efficiency. In addition, the construction of substations has also led to the development of related industries, such as photovoltaic industry, wind power industry and energy storage industry, creating local employment opportunities.
From the perspective of social impact, the completion and commissioning of the Yuanlong substation provides valuable experience and reference for the power grid construction and energy transformation in other regions. It demonstrates the application potential of digital intelligence and green technology in the field of power grid, and provides strong support for the realization of the "dual carbon" goal. The successful operation of the substation also marks an important step forward in Ningxia's energy transition and grid upgrading, providing a demonstration effect for the country's energy transition.
4. Expert views and future prospects
The White Paper on Energy Digital Transformation (2021) released by the State Grid Energy Research Institute pointed out that energy digital transformation is an important way to achieve the "dual carbon" goal. The construction of the Yuanlong substation is the concrete practice of this concept. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous support of policies, digital, intelligent and green substations will become the mainstream trend of power grid construction.
The completion and commissioning of Yuanlong substation is not only innovative in technology, but also has significant significance in environmental protection and economy. It provides valuable experience and reference for energy transition and power grid upgrading in Ningxia and even the whole country. In the future, with the construction of more digital, intelligent and green substations, we will usher in a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable energy era.
5. Conclusion
The completion and commissioning of Ningxia's first digital and intelligent substation marks an important step forward in Ningxia's energy transformation and power grid upgrading. The substation, with an investment of 97.57 million yuan, can reduce carbon emissions by 111.23 tons per year, which is not only innovative in technology, but also has significant significance in terms of environmental protection and economy. It provides valuable experience and reference for energy transformation and power grid upgrading in Ningxia and even the whole country, and demonstrates the application potential of digital intelligence and green technology in the field of power grid. In the future, with the construction of more digital, intelligent and green substations, we will usher in a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable energy era.
