New-type power grid drives innovation and quality improvement in pomegranate industry

Bright red pomegranates bring smiles to local growers' faces each harvest season in Zaozhuang city, Shandong. Today, this small fruit underpins a major industry with an output value of 5.6 billion yuan ($784 million). Guided by the pomegranate industry's development plan, State Grid Zaozhuang Power Supply Co (State Grid Zaozhuang) is stepping up the development of a new-type power grid to support advances in cultivation and the adoption of smart processing lines, helping the industry to innovate and improve the overall level of quality.

Heshun village in Liuyuan town, Yicheng district, opened its first group of more than 100 pomegranate bonsai gardens in late 2023. Over the past two years, these gardens have spread along both sides of Liuhua Road in the village, prompting neighboring villages along the route to follow suit and bringing the total to 1,000. This has transformed the traditional practice of growing pomegranate trees in the ground and relying on the weather for a livelihood, while driving a steady rise in electricity demand.

State Grid Zaozhuang has upgraded the grid along Liuhua Road, extending power lines to the edge of every pomegranate bonsai garden. Data show that in Liuyuan town, 47 public distribution transformers have been installed and power networks throughout four villages have been upgraded over the past three years. These figures are more than double those in other towns over the same period.

Modern operations using smart technology for propagation, cultivation, and processing have also sprung up along Liuhua Road. A demonstration orchard for premium pomegranates, completed two years ago, houses 27 high-quality varieties from across China in 39 glass greenhouses. IoT sensors monitor the temperature and humidity in real time, while an automated spraying system integrates irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide application.

A national pomegranate germplasm bank lies more than 1 kilometer farther east. Its construction was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Forestry Administration, and it conserves 523 pomegranate germplasm accessions from China and abroad.

Jimei Health and Wellness Industrial Park has a 36,000-square-meter production facility housing eight smart production lines with an annual capacity of more than 8,000 metric tons. These lines produce over 80 pomegranate products across six product ranges. Pomegranate juice produced there ranks first in sales nationwide.

The company is also putting electricity-use data to work for smart production lines. Using big data and algorithms, State Grid Zaozhuang has developed electricity statements with detailed usage analysis for pomegranate growers and processors. The analysis covers six aspects of smart production lines, including electricity consumption, tariffs, charges, and energy efficiency. Delivered online, the statements help customers select the most cost-effective tariffs and adjust their electricity supply capacity to suit operational needs, keeping electricity use economical.

State Grid is helping the pomegranate industry flourish. The industry's growth has unlocked the potential of rural ecological and cultural resources and created fresh momentum for development. Data show that farmers in pomegranate-growing villages within Zaozhuang's scenic areas now have a per capita disposable income of 35,000 yuan and are enjoying increasing prosperity.