Chengdu bolsters power supply ahead of university games

Photo taken on April 18, 2023 shows the venues at Dong'an Lake

Sports Park in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

With the imminent opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games and the rising summer temperatures, the city of Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is bracing for a surge in electricity demand.

State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company has taken multiple measures and introduced several "smart" systems to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during the Chengdu Universiade which will run from July 28 to Aug. 8, and to fuel the extensive preparations for the sporting event.

Not only has the city's power supply capacity increased from 16.5 million kilowatts last year to 18.2 million kilowatts today, but the company has also implemented a smart power protection command system specifically for the Universiade. This innovative system, introduced in April, offers a comprehensive visualization of line and equipment operations across the entire region.

The system's "Disaster Prevention Panoramic Map" function is integrated with key transmission lines, providing centralized control and visualization of flood and lightning risk data to effectively identify and manage hidden risks. Additionally, the system can ensure that, in the event of abnormalities, precise emergency maintenance orders can be swiftly issued to promptly eliminate hidden risks.

In June, a power supply command-and-dispatch center for the Chengdu Universiade commenced its operations. The advanced center possesses real-time monitoring capabilities, enabling it to promptly gather information on electricity consumption at various points, encompassing lighting, microphones and power sockets.

It monitors the electricity consumption data of 49 Universiade venues, overseeing the operation of 153 substations and 568 power lines responsible for supplying power to the sports event. It also possesses the ability to dynamically allocate power resources across the region. With a comprehensive command-and-dispatch system in place, the center effectively coordinates thousands of power maintenance personnel to carry out power supply maintenance tasks efficiently.

Ensuring a reliable power supply entails a focus on inspections and risk management. State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company has assigned more than 8,000 personnel to conduct thorough inspections of 49 venues, 199 transmission lines, over 6,700 pole towers, and other important electricity and transmission sites, fully ensuring the electricity supply for the Universiade.

In anticipation of the Games, the company's dedicated workforce of more than 6,300 personnel, comprising 510 teams, along with over 300 emergency power generation vehicles, are all fully prepared.

The power maintenance teams will diligently conduct inspections and address any hidden risks to ensure the power grid, equipment and personnel are in optimal condition for power supply maintenance.