Xiong'an New Area sets sustainable example

When the Xiong'an New Area was established on April 1, 2017, it was envisioned as a model green and smart city. Eight years on, encouraging progress has been made in Xiong'an in harnessing its renewable energy resources.

The installed capacity for new energy generation in the new area has reached 274,700 kilowatts, according to Kong Tao, deputy head of Xiong'an's development and reform bureau.

The new area has promoted the integrated development and utilization of "photovoltaic+" technologies in various scenarios, combining solar systems with other technologies or applications to enhance their effectiveness and usability in different contexts, the official said.

Xiong'an's comprehensive bonded zone stands out as a potent example of the progress.

A distributed solar photovoltaic project with an installed capacity of 3.1 megawatts has been operational in the zone since the end of last year, fully utilizing 30,000 square meters of rooftops, according to Datang Environmental Industry Group Co, the operator of the project.

Su Changda, deputy general manager of the group's New Industry Investment and Development Branch, said the project is expected to generate 3.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

Compared with coal-fired power generation, it can save more than 1,062 metric tons of standard coal per year, he added.

This means that the emissions of almost 2,929 tons of carbon dioxide, about 91 tons of sulfur dioxide and roughly 46 tons of oxynitride will be avoided in the project's annual operation, he added.

Xiong'an New Area is also moving ahead with the construction of a green and sustainable heat supply system supported by its rich geothermal resources, with renewable energy meeting one-fourth of its current heating needs, according to Hu Wenjin, deputy general manager of China Xiongan Group Smart Energy Co.

To date, medium-deep geothermal energy has been used to heat a cumulative floor area of 12 million sq m in Xiong'an. This initiative reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tons annually, Hu said.

"Since the new area was established, geothermal resource management has been steadily refined by both the government and businesses. Over-extraction is now improbable under strict regulations," he added.

Hu said the utilization of geothermal resources in Xiong'an now follows a stringent principle: the amount of geothermal water extracted is determined by the volume reinjected underground, ensuring a balance between extraction and reinjection.

"The operation of the geothermal heat supply system extracts only heat from geothermal sources without withdrawing any water," he said.

Feng Lingyun contributed to this story.