China’s First Photovoltaic Powered Battery Swap Stations Start Operation

China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy), a state-owned enterprise, announced on Monday afternoon that the first batch of photovoltaic powered battery swap stations in Ningdong, Ningxia province was successfully completed and put into use on May 20.

This project was jointly built by Qiyuan Core Power, a leading power provider in the transportation industry, and a subsidiary of China Energy in Ningdong. Two battery swap stations have been completed and put into operation in Phase I, each of which adopts an eight-working point design and can serve 100 heavy-duty trucks simultaneously.

There is a 6MW photovoltaic generator set built for the company, which is combined with the intelligent battery swap dispatching system – service capacity thus can reach more than 200 times per day. The facility can fully ensure the efficient operation of short-distance transport vehicles throughout the day.

This photovoltaic powered battery swap station can realize the basic balance between local energy production and consumption through distributed photovoltaic and energy storage units. They can convert sunlight into green electric energy, storing it through equipment, and using the stored energy to charge vehicles, improving energy efficiency and making the transportation system completely green and with no carbon output.

SEE ALSO: New Energy Leader JinkoSolar Plans to Raise 9.7 Billion Yuan Via Subsidiary’s IPO

The project is located in Ningdong, China’s Ningxia province. The area has a high altitude, arid climate, long sunshine hours, high radiation intensity and good atmospheric transparency. It is one of the areas with the richest solar energy resources and solar radiation in China, and has unique advantages in developing and utilizing solar energy.

During China’s official “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ningdong subsidiary plans to expand battery swap stations and replace about 200 diesel heavy-duty trucks and construction machinery (coal yard loaders) with new energy vehicles. It is estimated that about 30 million kWh of green electricity can be consumed every year, reducing about 27,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.