Distribution network upgrade ensures livelihoods

To secure the power supply for remote areas, State Grid's units in Zhejiang province is banking on high-tech solutions to improve its power supply system.

State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co is among such enterprises and recently installed six sets of differential protection and other power supply devices in Anji county in Huzhou, Zhejiang.

Such efforts are part of the company's broader push to improve its electricity distribution network.

As the major part of the power grid construction, a stable distribution network is key to sound operation of the whole society. With the rapid development in rural areas, residents in Anji are seen having more demand in power supply, which poses higher requirements for supply stability.

Huzhou, which has many villages located in mountainous areas, used to be faced by issues concerning power supply. In the past, once a line fault occurs, it would take long for repair personnel to arrive, and even longer for them to restore the power supply. It is thus urgent to improve the distribution network, the company said in a construction report.

The Zhejiang unit, leveraging various digital solutions such as 5G to collect accurate line operation information, established a digital intelligent distribution network in the county.

After the upgrade, the State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power can make the fault location clear more efficiently through the system, automatically reduce the fault isolation range and close the power supply switch after fault isolation, and quickly restore the non-fault section power supply load, which, as a result, will shorten the repair time from hours to seconds.

The improved system can not only reduce the pressure on grassroots repair personnel, but also greatly improve the reliability of rural power supply, the company said.

Linghu Rongxian contributed to this story.

zhuangqiange@chinadaily.com.cn