On the other side of the world, in Brazil, a transmission super project that stretches over 2000 kilometers and fully adopts Chinese standards has already taken shape. How did Chinese standards go global? The experience of Chinas first overseas ultra-high voltage project can be used as a reference.

The student walked into the teachers home

In Brazil in May, there is still some humidity in the air. After the shower, a thin mist lingers in the mountains, and the Rio converter station, dressed in the "State Grid Green" coat, is nestled among a circle of lush hills.

This is the endpoint of the Brazil Beautiful Mountain Phase II project. The second phase of the Beautiful Mountain project starts from the Xingu converter station in the Amazon plain, with a transmission capacity of 4 million kilowatts. It adopts a ± 800 kilovolt high-voltage direct current transmission scheme and has a total length of over 2000 kilometers. It is the first ultra-high voltage transmission project independently invested, constructed, and operated by China State Grid Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "State Grid") overseas, and is also a "golden card" of Chinese standards overseas.

Being able to undertake power transmission projects in Brazil holds special significance for Chinese grid workers.

Almost every power grid engineer who goes to Brazil hopes to make a pilgrimage to the Itaipu hydropower station, because it is the starting point of global high-voltage direct current transmission, "Liang Ping, assistant general manager of State Grid Brazil Holding Company and chief technical officer of the Beautiful Mountain Phase II project, told reporters.

In the 1980s, Brazils hydropower and transmission technology was at the forefront of the world, and it once had the worlds highest operating voltage level AC/DC parallel power grid. Among them, the Itaipu hydroelectric power station in Brazil, which was put into operation in 1984, had a voltage level of ± 600 kV, pioneering the worlds large-scale high-voltage transmission.

80% of Brazils electricity load is distributed in developed regions in the south and southeast, while the power generation center is located in the Amazon River basin, which has the richest hydroelectric resources in northern Brazil, spanning over 2000 kilometers from north to south.

The situation in China is similar to Brazil, with energy centers and load centers thousands of kilometers apart. In Liang Pings memory, Brazil was long regarded as a "teacher" in the development of Chinas ultra-high voltage transmission and transformation technology.

After more than 30 years of development, Chinas ultra-high voltage direct current transmission technology is leading the worlds direct current transmission technology development, and Chinese engineering with Chinese standards as the core has strong competitiveness and vitality.

Nowadays, in the past, "teachers" introduced the skills and projects of "students" into Brazil.

Becoming a world standard is necessary to participate in global competition

But it is not easy to make the original teacher accept the standards of student.

Never before has a sovereign country adopted the standards of another country, "Chang Zhongjiao, General Manager of State Grid Brazil Holding Company, reminded reporters." If the country has standards, it will use its own standards, and if there are no standards, it will use world standards. Therefore, when Chinese standards go global , they must first become world standards!

This is another journey of struggle that has lasted for over a decade.

The ultra-high voltage ± 800 kV DC transmission technology has the characteristics of low transmission loss and high utilization of transmission corridors. However, the technology of ultra-high voltage ± 800 kV direct current transmission is extremely complex, and there is no reference experience at home and abroad, making research and development extremely difficult.

In 2006, China began implementing demonstration projects for ultra-high voltage direct current transmission. That year, the Yunnan Guangdong ± 800 kV DC transmission project started, with a bipolar transmission power of 5 million kilowatts and a transmission distance of 1373 kilometers. On April 26, 2007, the world-renowned Xiangjiaba Shanghai ± 800 kV DC transmission project was approved, with a maximum transmission capacity of 7 million kilowatts and a transmission distance of 1907 kilometers. As of April 2018, State Grid Corporation of China has completed 10 ± 800 kV high-voltage direct current projects. Technological progress is matched with engineering practice, and Chinas strength in this field has reached a global leader.

By promoting technological maturity through project progress, State Grid Corporation of China and other units have collaborated with more than 160 scientific research, universities, equipment manufacturing, and other units to complete 141 key technology research projects and create 37 ************* projects, overcoming world-class challenges such as insulation characteristics, electromagnetic environment, equipment development, and testing technology under ultra-high voltage and ultra-high current.

Chinas technological practice has surpassed the original Brazilian "teacher". The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which formulates international standards and corresponding qualification assessment procedures for the worlds electrical, electronic, and related fields, has established the High Voltage Direct Current Transmission Technical Committee, with its secretariat located at State Grid Corporation of China. State Grid Corporation of China Chairman Shu Yinbiao has also been elected as Vice Chairman of IEC.

Since 2008, State Grid Corporation of China has initiated and successfully established 5 technical committees on behalf of China at IEC, undertaking the secretariat work of 5 technical committees and 1 chairman position, and has approved 51 international standards.

As one of the earliest entrepreneurs of ultra-high voltage, Liang Ping accompanied Chinas ultra-high voltage from Xiangjiaba in the mountains to Rio de Janeiro by the rain forest, experiencing the Chinese style leap of more than ten years.

It can be said that our standard is the current global standard for ultra-high voltage direct current, "said Liang Ping.

Green land project landing: Promotion standards gradually advance

Entering Brazil from a strategic high ground of global standards has enhanced the companys market development capabilities and upgraded local market demand from the supply side. Although the road has been paved, it still needs to be gradually progressed.

Not only do we have to say that we can do it ourselves, but we also need others to believe that we can do it; only when others believe that we can do it, can we really do it, "Wang Yuanhang, Director of Development and Planning Department of State Grid Brazil Holding, told First Financial." Under the top-level design and path design of State Grid in Latin America, State Grid Brazil Holding has embarked on a practical path of mergers and acquisitions, standard promotion, and green space investment landing

In 2010 and 2012, as the only platform for State Grid Corporation of Chinas overseas asset investment and operation, State Grid International gradually entered the Brazilian market by acquiring 100% equity of 14 transmission assets in Brazil from Spanish companies. Relying on the localized platform of State Grid Brazil Holding Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Grid International Corporation, we started small projects with a "small step, fast run" approach, first understanding the market.

Since 2011, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) has won seven AC transmission green space projects, including the Louisiana and Nige substation expansion projects. It has become familiar with the Brazilian electricity market environment and rules, established contacts and mutual trust with government departments and regulatory agencies such as the Brazilian Ministry of Mining and Energy, the Electricity Regulatory Bureau, and the National Survey Center, and has also gained the trust of a group of Brazilian electricity peers, design units, and construction contractors.

Through research and project implementation, State Grid Brazil Holdings found that firstly, the Brazilian market has great potential. With the expansion of Brazils economic scale in recent years, the problem of insufficient domestic electricity supply in Brazil has become increasingly prominent. According to statistics, electricity prices for Brazilian residents increased by over 50% in 2015. Against the backdrop of rapidly increasing electricity load, Brazil needs an "electricity highway" to transport the abundant electricity from the beautiful mountain and water power plants with an installed capacity of 11 million kilowatts in the Amazon River basin to the economically developed areas of S ? o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil.

Secondly, the Brazilian government has performed well in the implementation of transmission concession projects, and the long-term risks of the projects can be maintained within a controllable range; Local banks offer more favorable credit conditions to large enterprises, and with the strong backing of State Grid Corporation of China, financing costs can be effectively reduced.

Finally, the current situation of land privatization and strict environmental supervision in Brazil will pose challenges to project land acquisition and construction. Fully leveraging the initiative of local partners is a reliable path to enter the market.

So, when Brazil announced the implementation of the Beautiful Mountain transmission project bidding, State Grid Brazil Holding Company was fully prepared from standard high ground to business preparation.

The Beautiful Mountain project is Brazils "Century Project", which may achieve a service life spanning over a hundred years. Based on previous market research and technology application promotion, State Grid recommends to Brazil that the Beautiful Mountain Water Station adopt a ± 800 kV DC transmission technology solution at high standard stations.

In response to the concerns of Pakistani technical experts about system security and stability, State Grid recommends the use of a load sharing scheme with two ± 800 kV transmission lines. After the proposal was submitted to the Pakistani technical experts for review, it was unanimously approved.

After multiple investigations and comparisons, State Grid Brazil Holding Company has also chosen a joint venture with a subsidiary of Brazilian State Power Company (hereinafter referred to as "Electricity Brazil") to jointly participate in the bidding for the first phase of the Beautiful Mountain project.

Brazilian power has local advantages, while the Chinese team has technical advantages and management experience in the design, equipment procurement, construction and operation of ultra-high voltage direct current transmission projects. The Chinese side not only helped optimize the plan, but also took the lead in clarifying and negotiating the price of the converter station EPC plan with ABB, Siemens, and Alstom.

The Brazilian government compared 13 different transmission methods, including direct current transmission, alternating current transmission, and half wave transmission, when deciding on the beautiful mountain and water power transmission mode. It was precisely because of the success of Chinas ultra-high voltage project that it set an example of low cost per unit capacity, low loss, and reliable operation internationally. After multiple communications and discussions between State Grid Corporation of China and Brazilian industry and government departments, the Brazilian government ultimately chose the ± 800 kV high-voltage direct current transmission scheme.

On February 7, 2014, State Grid Corporation of China and Pakistan Electric Power Joint Venture participated in the on-site bidding for the first phase of the Beautiful Mountain project and successfully won the bid.

Jos é da Costa, the then president of the Brazilian power company, stated in the media that the construction of this new transmission line signifies a technological leap for Brazil in the field of electricity.

Based on standards: promoting the full industry chain to go global

When Chinese standards are adopted as global standards for direct current ultra-high voltage transmission, not only State Grid Corporation of China benefits, but also excellent enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the industry chain are granted a "passport" to go global; On the other hand, the technological progress of equipment companies is constantly enriching the global standards for ultra-high voltage proposed by State Grid as the main body.

Former Director of the National Energy Administration, Zhang Guobao, once said that ultra-high voltage has brought the level of the entire power transmission and transformation equipment manufacturing industry to a big level. "If the equipment manufacturing of the original 500 kV AC/DC power grid was still bumpy and had various problems, now that we have reached ultra-high voltage and look back at 500 kV, it is a piece of cake. We will all do it

Based on the success of the first phase of the Beautiful Mountain project, the second phase of the Beautiful Mountain project, which was tendered in Brazil, was ultimately won independently by State Grid Corporation of China. It was praised by the General Manager of State Grid Corporation of China, Kou Wei, as a strong alliance between the "worlds fourth largest hydropower station" and the "worlds highest level of power transmission technology". This has promoted more Chinese companies to go global.

According to preliminary estimates, State Grid Corporation of Chinas investment in the construction of the first and second phases of the Beautiful Mountain project can drive nearly 8 billion yuan of domestically produced high-end power equipment and EPC general contracting services to go global.

In terms of main equipment, high-end 800 kV equipment from NARI Group, Xidian Group, Pinggao Group, and other domestic manufacturers have been widely used in the two major projects in Meilishan. A group of Chinese advantageous electrical equipment enterprises have set up factories locally in Brazil; In terms of EPC engineering construction, China Electric Power Equipment Company, Xinjiang Power Transmission and Transformation, East China Power Transmission and Transformation, Hunan Power Transmission and Transformation, China Power Construction Group Shandong Electric Power Construction Company, and Fujian Electric Power Construction Company have all participated in the construction of the US II project.

At the same time, the project will actively drive the upstream and downstream industries such as power supply, electrical equipment, and raw materials in Brazil, creating about 16000 job opportunities for the local area and achieving mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between China and Pakistan.

The low-priced and high-quality Chinese power industry chain has shown Brazil a new possibility for future energy revolution, enabling the effective transmission of hydropower, new energy and other electricity from the northern energy center to the southern load center.

After the bidding for the second phase of the Beautiful Mountain project, on June 22, 2016, the Brazilian Institute of Energy Planning and Research officially released the first volume of the feasibility study report for the new ± 800 kV high-voltage direct current transmission project, proposing to build two new ultra-high voltage direct current transmission lines. In addition, the Brazilian Institute of Energy Planning and Research has commissioned State Grid Corporation of China and the joint venture of Beijing Electric Power to conduct a preliminary feasibility study on a 1000 kV AC transmission scheme.

Driven by standards, State Grids exploration in Brazil is just a microcosm of Chinas continuous "going global" from participating in the formulation of standards. At present, the Chinese have been listed as the President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Vice President of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the President of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

Facing a broader future, Lang Zhizheng, an academician of the International Academy of Quality Sciences, former counselor of the State Council, and professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, has written an article proposing to achieve "internationalization of Chinese standards". Lang Zhizheng believes that Chinas standardization has indeed made great achievements, but it is still not commensurate with its status as the worlds second largest economy. In international standardization, when important field standards, global standards, important product standards, and important management standards are formulated based on Chinese standards and have the dominant position in international major and influential field standards, it can be said that "Chinese standards are internationalized".

Starting from the "the Belt and Road" initiative, Lang Zhizheng believes that the "the Belt and Road" involves more than 60 countries. It will be a shortcut to enter from this entrance to solve the problem of "internationalization of Chinese standards".

Information source: State Grid News