A closer look at China's first near-zero carbon emissions charging station in Tianjin

The Jinmenhu New Energy Vehicle Integrated Service Center, a charging station located in north China’s Tianjin, has boosted near-zero carbon emissions and insists that clean energy should be the only source of the electricity it uses to charge vehicles.

A robot operates a charging device at the Jinmenhu New Energy Vehicle Integrated Service Center in north China’s Tianjin. (Photo provided by the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power Company)

Equivalent to the size of a football field, the station has 71 charging stalls and the charging facilities add up to an installed capacity of 4,792 kilowatts. The center provides multiple charging modes.

“The green energy network built by the center is able to consume 450,000 kilowatt hours of photovoltaic electricity each year and reduce carbon emissions by 4,575 tons,” said Zhang Jian with the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power Company, who added that the electricity the center charges the vehicles with comes from solar panels, and with the center purchasing green electricity from electricity companies, among other channels.

The electricity storage facility, with the lithium iron phosphate batteries placed inside of it, is able to store and release electricity according to the generated power output and the curve of the power load so that the green electricity can be connected to the grid in a smooth manner.

New energy vehicles are charged at the Jinmenhu New Energy Vehicle Integrated Service Center in north China’s Tianjin. (People's Daily Online/Cui Xinyao)

The station is also an integrated service center, where car owners can experience “one-stop” services including car and insurance purchases, along with vehicle charging.

“The center on one day received 1,065 visitors and the highest volume of electricity it used to charge vehicles was 18,900 kilowatt hours for a single day,” said Zhao Yingchun with the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power Company.

Aerial photo shows the Jinmenhu New Energy Vehicle Integrated Service Center in north China’s Tianjin. (Photo provided by the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power Company)

Put into operation at the end of July 2021, the charging center is the first in the country that is driven by digital and intelligent technologies, and it is also Internet-connected. The center employs independently developed robots to operate charging devices, being the first of its kind in the country. 

Photo shows the new energy vehicle and charging facility operation and control center in Tianjin. (Photo provided by the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power Company)