Iconic 20-yuan landscape goes zero-carbon
Electric rafts and green power grids turn Lijiang River into a global model for eco-tourism. Hou Liqiang reports from Guilin, Guangxi.
Added infrastructure
Powering a fleet of 1,000 electric vessels required an equally modern onshore grid. China Southern Power Grid responded by establishing a 15-minute charging network across Xingping township, including specialized facilities directly opposite Chaobanshan Wharf capable of fully charging raft batteries in two to three hours.
Just a stone's throw away sits the Egendi station — Guilin's first integrated energy facility combining solar generation with electric vehicle charging. Constructed despite extreme space constraints along the protected riverbank, the 988,700-yuan station features a photovoltaic canopy with 45 solar panels. Generating roughly 80 kilowatt-hours of solar power daily, the small station has served over 16,000 vehicles and cut an additional 2,924.5 metric tons of carbon emissions.
Though modest in size, the charging station's construction along the Lijiang River was a remarkable achievement, according to Ni Chengjie, an executive with the grid's branch in Xingping.
He said the Egendi charging station is one of only five such facilities constructed by China Southern Power Grid in Xingping, all of which collectively create a 15-minute charging network in the township.
