State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Achieves Independent Power Supply with Urban "Power Bank" for the First Time

ZHENJIANG, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At 1:00 AM on the 28th, an experimental order was issued, disconnecting 200 households near the 10kV Xinxi Line in Yangzhong, Zhenjiang from the main grid. Instead, the entire area was solely powered by a nearby grid-forming energy storage station for two hours. This marked Jiangsu's maiden success in realizing independent power supply via an urban "power bank," significantly broadening energy storage applications and enhancing power supply reliability.

"The grid-forming energy storage station acts as a stable urban 'power bank.' When surrounding lines malfunction, the storage system can spontaneously get activated, decoupling from the main grid while establishing a microgrid in a specific area to supply power to loads within," said Chen Lanhang, Director of Distribution Network Management Department at State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company.

According to State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Company Limited, this grid-forming energy storage station is the first of its kind in Jiangsu Province initiated by the company this year. Comprising two 1MW/2MWh battery containers, a 2MW grid-forming photovoltaic-storage integrated cabin, and an auxiliary energy management system, it aims to expedite the exploration of new scenarios integrating energy storage with the power grid.

Earlier, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the "Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a New-type Power System (2024-2027)," proposing special initiatives like power system stability assurance, including promoting grid-forming technology applications.

"The grid-forming energy storage technology is typically suited for regions with longer line radii, where the grid structure tends to be simplistic. In case of faults, it may take some time for repair teams to arrive. During this period, grid-forming energy storage stations can independently maintain power supply within the area, minimizing the impact on users," said Jin Pengfei, a technician from State Grid Yangzhong Power Supply Company.

Jin further explained that this technology can also boost local consumption of renewable energy sources like solar. For instance, in Yangzhong, by coordinating with adjacent centralized photovoltaic power stations, they have increased the local consumption rate of photovoltaic energy from 60% to 90%, effectively alleviating operational pressures on the grid caused by insufficient renewable energy consumption.