A 500-kilovolt power grid project commenced operations in East China's Jiangsu province recently, to address the surging power demand, marking the first of its kind in the region this year, said the project's managing company State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Co.

It will be the first 500 kV gas-insulated substation in Taizhou city, which is suitable for limited available space with complex connections. The project also adopts digital twin application technologies, breaking through the barriers between various platforms within the system to improve operational efficiency, said the company.

In addition, it employs various digital intelligent devices, enabling the early prediction, decision-making and intervention of defects and faults, it said.

The project came out as in recent years, local pillar industries such as biopharmaceuticals, high-end equipment manufacturing and new energy have experienced rapid development, leading to a significant increase in local electricity demand at an average annual rate of 7 percent. However, the power supply capacity of the current substations is approaching saturation, said the State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Co.

With a newly constructed line, with a length of 10.76 kilometers, this project can provide reliable electricity to approximately 4.38 million households throughout the year, the company said.

The operation of this project will also better accommodate clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, it said.