SGCC to expand power network

State Grid Corporation of China will expand its smart grid construction in fields such as electric-charging stations and wind-power installations in 2011.

The company said it will build 173 electric-charging points, a sevenfold increase on the existing number, with 9,211 charging poles in 26 provincial regions this year.

“This will improve the electric-auto industry because the increasing number of charging stations will clear up the biggest obstacle for the industry,” said Yao Jianguo, director of the State Grid smart grid research center.

He said the company is promoting the use of battery-swap stations because they is more efficient than the charging points.

Yao said there are fewer than 10 battery-swap stations in China at present, but they will become a trend.

In addition to the expansion of the electric-charging networks, State Grid will also largely apply its smart grid technology into new-energy fields, such as wind power, this year.