Smart microgrid built to pioneer China's zero-carbon port plan

An aerial drone photo taken on June 26, 2024 shows freight ships docked at the container terminal of Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

A smart microgrid, the first of its kind in China, has been put into operation at a port in the eastern province of Jiangsu as a pioneer initiative in implementing the country's zero-carbon port plan.

The intelligent microgrid system, built in the Port of Lianyungang, consists of 5.2 MW of distributed photovoltaic power generation equipment, 5 MW of new energy storage facilities, battery-swapping container trucks, all-electric tugboats, electric front cranes, and empty container stackers, with the aim of achieving near-zero carbon emissions throughout the entire process of ship berthing, cargo handling and transportation, Science and Technology Daily reported on Wednesday.

This initiative provides "a replicable and scalable model" for the development of zero-carbon ports in China, said the report.

In June 2024, the Ministry of Transport announced the first batch of zero-carbon pilot projects for typical transportation and facilities on highways and waterways -- including an international container terminal and freight container hub in the Port of Lianyungang.

In response, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. collaborated with the Port of Lianyungang in building the "multi-energy complementary intelligent microgrid" featuring green energy and high efficiency.

"With various types of power generation and consumption equipment connected to the microgrid, annual clean energy generation can exceed 6 million kWh," said Yang Huadong, general manager of the Engineering and Technology Department of Lianyungang Port Holding Group Co., Ltd.

"Through flexible scheduling of the microgrid, annual electricity cost savings at our port exceed 3 million yuan (417,270 U.S. dollars). We can save 21,000 tonnes of standard coal and thus reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 56,000 tonnes every year," said Yang.   

This aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 10, 2024 shows vehicles to be loaded for export at Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua)

Among the first batch of 20 pilot projects announced by the Ministry of Transport, there are five zero-carbon port pilot projects. In addition to the one in the Port of Lianyungang, the four others are in Tianjin Port, north China, Jiangyin Port, also in east China's Jiangsu, Huanghua Port in north China's Hebei Province, and Weifang Port in Shandong Province in east China.

So far, the construction of power substitution facilities for port loading machinery, transportation machinery and auxiliary production equipment, and the building of shore power facilities have progressed smoothly in these five port pilot projects, according to the ministry.

For example, Weifang Port has put into operation automated gantry cranes, intelligent hoppers, unmanned intelligent mobile transportation flatbed trucks, fully automatic high-lifters, and remote clearing equipment -- achieving full process automation at the port, while full automation and unmanned operations have been realized at Tianjin Port.

The primary solution for green energy substitution adopted by the pilot ports is a combination of wind and solar energy.

Tianjin Port has built five wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 24 MW, and 1.23 MW of distributed photovoltaic facilities.

Huanghua Port plans to build eight 6 MW wind turbines and 10 MW peak photovoltaic facilities. Jiangyin Port has installed seven wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 16.8 MW. It will also construct a 381.72 kW photovoltaic facility and set up 150 sets of wind-solar-powered streetlights.

In addition, hydrogen energy and geothermal energy are also expected to be used in the pilot ports, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the pilot ports are building smart energy management platforms to monitor energy consumption, record energy sources and related data, and optimize energy dispatching.