Focus on COP30 Energy Transition: PowerChina's Brazil Project Delivered Early, China Pavilion Side Event Shares New Energy Experience
（2025/11/17—2025/11/23）
Author：Hao-Wang
International Energy News
1. PowerChina’s Substation Expansion in Brazil Delivered Early to Support Energy Transition for COP30
Recently, the reactor expansion project at the Inocência Substation in Brazil, constructed by PowerChina under an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model, was successfully commissioned one month ahead of schedule. Located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the project has significantly enhanced regional transmission capacity and power supply stability through the addition of key equipment, providing a solid guarantee for the local agricultural industry and the improvement of people’s livelihoods.
During construction, the project team deeply advanced localized operations, effectively driving local employment. With Brazil set to host the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), this project not only optimizes grid efficiency but also lays the foundation for the subsequent integration of solar power and other clean energy sources. It vividly demonstrates PowerChina’s practical strength in assisting Brazil to implement its climate commitments and promote the optimization of its energy structure.
2.Kenyan President Commends PowerChina’s "Last Mile" Connectivity Project
Recently, the President of Kenya inspected the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) "Last Mile" Connectivity Project, in which Hubei Engineering Company participated. He spoke highly of the construction results and PowerChina’s performance in fulfilling the contract.
This project highlights the strong momentum of pragmatic cooperation between China and Kenya and fulfills the government's commitment to improving people's livelihoods. As a key engineering initiative to solve the "last mile" issue of rural power supply, the project covers 11 counties in Kenya. Hubei Engineering Company undertook the construction of four lots, facilitating electricity access for households by extending and upgrading the distribution network. Once completed, the project is expected to cover 80% of Kenya's residential electricity usage, significantly improving the local quality of life and providing a strong guarantee for Kenya's economic and social development.
3. Annual Power Generation at Nepal’s Upper Marsyangdi A Hydropower Station Exceeds 300 Million kWh
Recently, the Upper Marsyangdi A Hydropower Station in Nepal, operated by Sinohydro Bureau 10 (a subsidiary of PowerChina), surpassed an annual power generation of 300 million kWh. Since taking over operations and maintenance (O&M) in January 2025, the team has scientifically scheduled hydraulic resources and strengthened equipment maintenance, ensuring the efficient operation of the generating units during the flood season.
This station is Sinohydro Bureau 10’s first O&M project in South Asia and is currently the hydropower station with the largest cumulative power generation among projects operated by Chinese companies in Nepal. The project continues to transmit clean electricity to core cities such as Kathmandu and Pokhara. Based on local standards, it meets the annual electricity needs of approximately 1.5 million households. This has not only effectively alleviated regional power shortages but also provided strong energy support for Nepal’s industrial production and livelihood improvement.
Domestic Energy News
1. COP30 China Pavilion Hosts Side Event on China's Energy Transition and New Energy Development
Recently, the side event titled "China's Energy Transition and New Energy Development" was successfully held in Belém during the New Energy Day at the China Pavilion of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30). The meeting was guided and hosted by China's National Energy Administration (NEA) and other organizations, and was attended by China's Special Envoy for Climate Change and representatives from multiple countries. Representatives from institutions such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) spoke highly of China's experience.
At the conference site, several think-tank achievements were released, including the white paper China’s Actions on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality, the China Green Certificate Development Report, and the China Energy Transition Outlook 2025. These publications highlighted China's achievements and experience in new energy development, showcasing the country's commitment to actively participating in global climate governance and promoting green and low-carbon development.
2. "Negative Electricity Prices" Reappear in Multiple Regions: Revealing the Economics Behind Power Plants Paying to Generate
Recently, the phenomenon of "negative electricity prices" has frequently appeared in regions such as Sichuan and Zhejiang. Although selling electricity involves "losing money" (paying the grid to take the power), the insistence of power plants on not shutting down is actually a rational decision based on cost, revenue, and safety.
For thermal power enterprises, start-up and shutdown costs are extremely high and time-consuming. A single restart costs hundreds of thousands of yuan and damages equipment; in comparison, the loss from maintaining low-load operation is far less than the cost of shutting down and restarting. Simultaneously, as the "stabilizers" of the grid, thermal plants must operate continuously to ensure system frequency safety.
For new energy (renewable) enterprises, generating at negative prices is mainly done to secure generation quotas and obtain environmental benefits such as Green Certificates and carbon rights. Their marginal costs are extremely low, and they must avoid facing fines or losing eligibility for future investments due to insufficient generation hours.
Industry insiders point out that negative electricity prices are an inevitable phenomenon during the energy transition. Future measures to turn negative prices into effective signals for optimizing resource allocation include flexible retrofitting of coal-fired power, improving the ancillary services market, and promoting real-time electricity prices on the user side.
3. Preparatory Meeting for the Facility Agriculture New Energy Branch of the CAREI Held in Harbin
Recently, the preparatory meeting for the Professional Committee on Renewable Energy Utilization in the Facility Agriculture Industry (under the China Association of Rural Energy Industry) was successfully held in Harbin. Themed "Promoting the Green Transition of Facility Agriculture," the meeting gathered representatives from government, research institutes, and enterprises to explore the deep integration of facility agriculture and renewable energy.
Addressing the high energy consumption of modern facility agriculture and its urgent need for clean energy, the committee aims to build a cross-industry collaborative innovation platform to promote the systematic application of photovoltaic (PV), heat pump, biomass, and energy storage technologies in agricultural scenarios. The meeting shared innovative cases such as "PV-direct-drive heat pumps," "PV-Storage-DC-Flexibility (PEDF)" systems, and PV-thermal integration.
The meeting reviewed and passed the draft measures for member services, clarifying a future commitment to connecting the agricultural and energy sectors. The goal is to build a full-chain ecosystem, resolve industry energy pain points, and support rural revitalization and the realization of the "Dual Carbon" strategy.
(Main news sources: CCTVNEWS APP, International Energy Network, China Energy Network, National Energy Administration, China Energy News)
