'Virtual power plant' makes good use of new energy
The article was originally posted by China Daily on 21st June 2024.YINCHUAN — Despite the lunch break, several furnaces and ancillary facilities continue to rumble at Jujin Chemical Co Ltd in Zhongwei, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. The production of calcium carbide fills the workshop with hot air and a dazzling glare.
"We have flexibly adjusted our production timing since September 2023 to increase production when the power grid is less occupied," said Yu Shengyuan, deputy general manager of the company.
"Each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by new energy, if consumed in this way, can help our company receive a direct subsidy of 0.19 yuan (2.6 cents), which not only ensures production but has also earned us an additional 400,000 yuan so far."
This approach, known as the "virtual power plant", allows users to participate in daily power grid regulation and make sure the electricity generated by new energy will not be wasted.
Ningxia has abundant wind and solar resources, with green power capacity exceeding 36 million kilowatts by the end of 2023. New energy has surpassed coal to become the region's largest electricity source.
