The 2^nd Virtual Power Plant Operation and Future Development Seminar 2024, co-hosted by BJX.COM.CN and Dongfang Electronics, under the guidance of the Yantai Development and Reform Commission, was held in Yantai on July 11-12, 2024. The conference attracted more than 500 industry professionals.

The conference's theme was "Building Momentum and Advancing Low Carbon Development." Wang Songjie, Vice Chairman of the Yantai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Director of the Yantai Development and Reform Commission, Zhou Quan, President of BJX.COM.CN, and Fang Zhengji, Chairman of Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd., delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. More than 20 representatives from industry regulatory authorities, high-level think tanks, leading enterprises, and project representatives with successful case studies participated in discussions and exchanges at the seminar. They focused on the current status and future prospects of the virtual power plant industry, successful cases and construction experiences, as well as technological innovation and business models. Their discussions aimed to provide insights for the development of virtual power plants in China and the construction of new power systems.

▲Wang Songjie, Vice Chairman of the Yantai Municipal Committee of CPPCC and Director of the Yantai Development and Reform Commission

Wang Songjie, Vice Chairman of the Yantai Municipal Committee of CPPCC and Director of the Yantai Development and Reform Commission, stated that virtual power plants, as an important innovation in the construction of new power systems and the implementation of dual-carbon strategic goals, are gradually becoming a prominent force driving energy transformation and the development of the power industry. Yantai's strong development momentum, robust economic strength, and diverse application scenarios provide a broad stage and space for the construction of virtual power plants and the demonstration and development of new power systems. In the future, Yantai will continue to deepen the investigation of adjustable load resources across the city, explore and introduce adaptive policy measures, and contribute to the establishment of a new energy system.

▲Fang Zhengji, Chairman of Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd.

Chairman Fang Zhengji of Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd. stated that in 2023, with the support of the Yantai Municipal Government and under the leadership of the Yantai Development and Reform Commission, Dongfang Electronics undertook the construction of China's first urban-level digital virtual power plant in Yantai. This initiative aims to explore the construction path of "energy safety resilient" cities and provide replicable and scalable experiences in virtual power plant construction for other cities in China. Furthermore, Dongfang Electronics will take this conference as an opportunity to exchange and discuss with industry experts, jointly promote innovation in virtual power plant operations, support the high-quality development of the virtual power plant industry, and contribute to the construction of a new power system and new energy system in China, thereby achieving dual-carbon goals.

▲Dong Wenjie, General Manager of the Integrated Energy Business Unit at Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dong Wenjie, General Manager of the Integrated Energy Business Unit at Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd., presented a report titled "Exploration and Practice of Virtual Power Plants under New Power Systems." The report extensively analyzed two aspects: the construction of virtual power plants and the optimization of their operations, focusing on the Shandong Province electricity spot market. It detailed the construction phases of virtual power plants, including the development of intelligent management and control platforms, establishment of adjustable load resource pools, integration with grid dispatching systems, and testing of grid-adjustable capabilities. Additionally, the report covered the entire operational process of virtual power plants.

The conference also hosted a summit dialogue titled "Virtual Power Plants: A New Engine for the Electricity Market." Wang Tao, Deputy General Manager of Huaneng Shandong Electric Power Thermal Marketing Co., Ltd., moderated the dialogue. Tian Shijun, a senior engineer from State Grid Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., Dong Wenjie, General Manager of the Integrated Energy Business Unit at Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd., Duan Zhixuan, CTO of Hefei Yuanli Zhonghe Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Nandou, Director of the Virtual Power Plant Division at Shanxi Fengxing Cekong Co., Ltd., and Liu Yuankun, Founder & CEO of Beijing VPPTECH Co., Ltd., delved into discussions on the current status, prospects, and feasible business models of virtual power plants.

At this exhibition, Dongfang Electronics set up a booth themed "Gathering Sands to Build Towers for Tangible Results, Adding Momentum to Green Development," showcasing Dongfang Electronics' overall solution and typical cases of virtual power plants. Dongfang Electronics possesses comprehensive capabilities for integrated implementation throughout the entire chain of virtual power plant construction. In recent years, it has implemented virtual power plant applications in various scenarios including State Grid, China Southern Power Grid, power generation groups, energy groups, urban-level, and park-level projects. Among them, Dongfang Electronics has participated in implementing the largest virtual power plant of China Southern Power Grid, Shandong Huaneng virtual power plant (the first virtual power plant in Shandong Province), and the first urban-level digital virtual power plant in Yantai City. Through the establishment of a 500,000kW adjustable load resource pool, it is capable of achieving an annual reduction of 1.89 million tons of carbon emissions.

On the afternoon of July 12, participants visited Dongfang Electronics and toured the first urban-level digital virtual power plant project in Yantai City, engaging in interactive discussions with the Dongfang Electronics team.

▲Visit to the operational center of the first urban-level digital virtual power plant in Yantai City

▲Visit to the Dongfang Electronics Experimental Exhibition Center

Virtual power plants have become an important lever for promoting clean energy consumption and green, low-carbon development, a consensus within the industry and another scene for developing new quality productive forces. In recent years, against the backdrop of the energy industry's shift towards cleaner and digitalized transformations, Dongfang Electronics has leveraged digital technologies to build a green, low-carbon core technology and whole industry chain ecosystem covering "green energy construction + smart energy management + cloud-based intelligent operation and maintenance + virtual power plants + carbon asset management". This initiative aims to enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and promote the development of new power systems.