The State Grid — the world's largest utility which shoulders a dual task of safeguarding China's energy security as well as its economic lifeline — is taking innovative means to reduce electricity consumption burden of enterprises, as a concrete move to aid the real economy.

In the prefecture-level city of Xuchang in Central China's Henan province, the local unit of the State Grid has timely adjusted the pricing strategy and optimized electricity allocation to reduce energy consumption costs for enterprises in the region.

Established in July 2016 with a registered capital of 900 million yuan ($125 million) and covering a land area of 24 hectares, the Pingmei Longji New Energy Technology Co Ltd is a major firm in Xuchang, situated in the industrial cluster area of Xiangcheng county.

Mainly engaged in the production and sales of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, modules and related products, as well as R&D and technical service of solar energy application system, the company's 6-gigawatt fourth-generation PERC high-efficiency solar cell project is a major undertaking for the city as well as for the province, said its manager Chang Guanliao.

Due to its large power use, the company has been getting power supply from the 110 kilovolt Houzhuang substation under the Xuchang Power Supply Co of the State Grid, and nine special lines have been built for it for the power supply, said Ai Menglong, a customer manager from the local power supplier.

In January this year, the company gave feedback to the provincial office for the special-class promotion of industrial chain of new-electric power (new energy) equipment, hoping to cut its energy-consumption cost and set up an energy storage power station to help solve the problem of power stability.

After getting to know the company's new demand, the State Grid Xuchang Power Supply Co immediately sent staffers to coordinate with the enterprise, formulating solutions in accordance with its real needs and actual conditions.

The local power supplier adjusted the pricing strategy in time and optimized the transformer capacity allocation to improve the load utilization rate, while helping the company to arrange its production time reasonably.

"In this way, the company reduced its electricity consumption during peak hours at daytime, and increased energy consumption during nighttime, leading to lowered energy consumption cost," said Jiao Yongsheng, another staffer from State Grid Xuchang Power Supply Co.

Meanwhile, the State Grid Xuchang Power Supply Co also contacted Henan Comprehensive Energy Service Co of the State Grid, launching an "energy trusteeship project" to ensure the stable power supply for enterprises, Jiao said.

Chang told Ai on April 7, "We are extremely satisfied with this kind of assistance you offered, as it has genuinely met our demand for electricity."

Please contact the writers at zhuangqiange@chinadaily.com.cn