The Chengdu 500-kilovolt three-dimensional double-loop power grid was fully completed and put into operation in Sichuan Province on Friday, marking the first such power network in southwest China.
With a total investment of more than 10 billion yuan (about 1.46 billion U.S. dollars), the grid consists of 15 500-kilovolt substations. This upgrade has transformed Chengdu's power network from a single-line structure into a double-loop system that enables both independent operation and mutual support.
When a particular node on a transmission channel becomes congested or fails, electricity can be flexibly rerouted through the loop network, creating a more optimized and secure power grid.
The grid will also be connected to the clean energy base in western Sichuan via the Sichuan-Chongqing ultra-high-voltage alternating current (UHVAC) transmission line, with an aim to enhance power supply capacity for downtown Chengdu and surrounding areas.
"The three-dimensional double-loop grid can efficiently bring in clean electricity from western Sichuan and distribute it flexibly through the 15 substations. With its operation, the main grid's carrying capacity could be increased to more than 25 million kilowatts, providing reliable power support for the high-quality development of this megacity and the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle," said Zhou Jian, deputy director of the electric power dispatching and control center of State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company.
Southwest China's 1st 500-kV three-dimensional double-loop grid operational
China's newly approved Inner Mongolia Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) is expected to help turn the northern border areas into a new frontier of opening-up.
China on Thursday released a plan for the establishment of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, bringing the total number of pilot free trade zones nationwide to 23. Leveraging its unique location linking Russia, Mongolia and wider Eurasia, the zone is designed to advance the country's high-level opening-up through policy support, industrial upgrading and improved connectivity.
The pilot FTZ covers 119.74 square kilometers and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, Manzhouli, a northern border city, and Erenhot, a land port on the China-Mongolia border, each tasked with differentiated functions and the development of industries tailored to local conditions.
Specifically, the Hohhot subzone will serve as a central hub, focusing on developing specialty industries and innovation clusters. The Manzhouli subzone will build on China-Russia-Mongolia cooperation to become an important gateway to Northeast Asia and Europe. The Erenhot subzone will tap into the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and serve as a model for cooperation with neighboring countries.
At the Hohhot Comprehensive Bonded Zone, a gold and silver refining project due to start operations will have an annual processing capacity of 100 tonnes of gold and 1,000 tonnes of silver.
The Manzhouli subzone will prioritize industries including the processing of imported resources, cross-border tourism, cross-border financial services and port services.
"Following the approval of the free trade zone, companies like ours are more confident in expanding our cross-border business further and broadening its scope. Specifically, we aim to achieve full coverage across the entire industrial chain," said Cui Rongzheng, head of Manzhouli Xincheng Supply Chain Limited Company.
Notably, in the first quarter of this year, the Erenhot Railway Port, a key hub on the "middle corridor" of the China-Europe Railway Express, handled a record-high 1,145 freight train trips, a 22.3 percent increase from last year, underscoring its role in stabilizing global supply chains and supporting foreign trade growth.
"The establishment of the Inner Mongolia Pilot Free Trade Zone will strengthen links between border provinces and China's inland regions, and enhance cooperation between land ports, coastal ports and inland ports. It is expected to play a key role in improving the wellbeing of ethnic minority populations in the border areas and turning China's northern border areas into a new frontier of opening-up," said Wang Xuekun, head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.
Inner Mongolia FTZ subzones to drive coordinated opening-up
