Sinopec's first battery swapping station for heavy-duty trucks put into operation

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec) puts its first battery swapping station for heavy-duty trucks into operation in Yibin in Southwest China's Sichuan province on July 20. [Photo by Zhang Linye / For China Daily]

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec), the world's largest refiner by volume, put its first battery swapping station for heavy-duty trucks into operation in Yibin in Southwest China's Sichuan province as the 2022 World EV & ES Battery Conference (WEBC) is being held in the city.

The WEBC, drawing some 800 delegates from around the globe participating both online and in person from July 21 to 23, showcases the latest development in electric vehicles and executive sedan battery technology and low-carbon mobility, and explores the way forward for this fast-developing industry.

The Baijiawang integrated energy station, developed by Sinopec Sichuan Oil Product Company, covers an area of 2,724 square meters and can provide one-stop services such as refueling, heavy-duty truck battery swapping, and convenience store access.

The battery swapping section of the station adopts a top-mounted swapping model and is equipped with seven pieces of 282-kilowatt-hour power batteries, each of which allows a vehicle to run for about 150 kilometers.

By using intelligent and automatic precise docking technology, the battery swapping process takes just three minutes. And the station can meet the battery swapping demands of 168 vehicles per day, according to executives at the company.

"This station marks a new step for our company in its transformation from just an 'oil and gas' supplier to a comprehensive energy service provider," said one executive.

To actively implement the national strategy of peaking carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, the company has taken advantage of its network of nearly 600 gas stations and more than 500 convenience stores in Sichuan province to develop new functions such as LNG and hydrogen refueling, photo-voltaic power generation, and vehicle charging and battery swapping.