Since the Industrial Revolution, people ceaselessly exploited and used fossil energy on large scale, which led to many global difficulties such as resource constraints, environmental pollution, and climate change. Socio-economic development faces increasingly serious dilemma of fossil fuels, which is also a serious threat to human survival and development. In the 21st century, faced with these problems and challenges, how can we find a strategic path for the new round of energy revolution taking the big picture into consideration?
SGCC Chairman Liu Zhenya has illustrated the strategic concept of constructing global energy interconnection fueled by UHV, clean energy and smart grid on the basis of precise grasp of the trend of global energy development. To construct the global energy interconnection and deploy “Clean Replacement” and “Electricity Replacement” is the inevitable course for the sustainable development of global energy.
“Two Replacements” is the fundamental solution to the energy dilemma. The crux of the fossil fuel dilemma lies in non-renewable resources and high pollution and high emission in the process of development and utilization. And clean energy can never be used up. “Two Replacements” has to be deployed massively in order to build a new pattern for energy development. Implement clean replacement in energy development, replace fossil fuels with clean energy like renewable solar and wind power and form a new pattern dominated by clean energy. Implement electricity replacement in energy consumption, replace direct consumption of fossil fuels like coal and oil with electricity, increase its proportion in the end energy and thus realize the sustainable development of global energy.
The construction of global energy interconnection is the inevitable course for clean development. To deploy “Two Replacements”, the key is to massively develop and use clean energy. The global clean energy resources are distributed in an unbalanced way and far away from load centers. Wind power and solar power is random and intermittent. To adapt to these features and develop and use clean energy in a large scale, we need to construct an energy platform centered on electric power with the capacity for global allocation. The essence of global energy interconnection is UHV grid + ubiquitous smart grid + clean energy. If global energy interconnection constructed, it would connect large energy bases at the North Pole and the Equator and in each continent and country with various kinds of distributed energy, and deliver electricity fueled by clean energy to different customers. Relying on global energy interconnection, clean energy can be greatly advanced, “Two Replacements” can be extensively deployed and clean electricity will be widely applied. Thus problems regarding energy, environment and climate change can be fundamentally solved.
Global energy interconnection has a bright prospect. The interconnection of big grids is the development trend of global grids. The successful practice of UHV and smart grid in China has greatly enhanced the safety, economic performance and flexibility of power grid and also served as a solid pragmatic reference and technical foundation for global energy interconnection. As the world’s largest energy allocation system, global energy interconnection connects power grids in different continents in different time zones and seasons to effectively ensure energy supply, increase economic benefits and lower social costs. Once it is built, energy and environmental problems can be solved; the resource advantages in regions with rich clean energy resources can be turned into economic advantages, narrowing regional gap. The goal “Sustainable Energy for All” will be achieved and life will be better as the world is turning into a civilized and harmonious global village with blue skies and green land.
Global energy interconnection conforms to the common benefits of all mankind, and is in accordance with the spirit of peace, development, cooperation and win-win. Let’s join hands to promote the innovative development of global energy interconnection together.
