Near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Hainan shows China's green practices

This year's Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference was the first such gathering after the launch of the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone, Li Baodong, secretary-general of the BFA, said on March 29.

Li added that preliminary calculations confirmed that the annual conference this year achieved the goal of carbon neutrality.

Photo shows the Boao Forum for Asia International Conference Center and hotel after renovation in the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

Located on Dongyu Island in Bo'ao, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province, the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone began operations on March 18.

In 2022, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Hainan worked to create the demonstration zone, taking the local tropical monsoon marine climate into consideration. The demonstration zone has completed a total of 18 projects in eight categories, and has reached the near-zero carbon stage.

The Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone has been certified by the German Energy Agency. It was selected as a model of urban renewal by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and a model for green and low-carbon energy transition by the National Energy Administration.

Flower-shaped wind turbines are installed at the plaza of the Boao Forum for Asia International Convention Center in the demonstration zone. They only need a wind speed of 1.2 meters per second to operate, the lowest starting speed requirement in the world so far, and can achieve 24-hour continuous power generation, said Liu Lianwei, deputy director of Hainan Province's department of housing and urban-rural development.

Photo shows flower-shaped wind turbines in the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Cao Mengyao)

Liu added that abundant wind, solar, and thermal resources provide the greatest advantages for establishing the near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao.

The press center for the BFA has been transformed into a green building. The floors outside the press center are covered with Photovoltaic (PV) tiles, while its roof is covered by 629 PV panels. Behind the building stands a gigantic "battery" that stores green electricity.

The battery adopts technology independently developed by a research team from a domestic university, which features a battery life nearly four times longer than traditional lithium batteries, according to Liu.

The press center has built a top-notch PEDF (photovoltaic, energy storage, direct current and flexibility) system, which generates about 520,000 kWh of electricity each year, higher than the annual power consumption of 500,000 kWh.

In addition to the press center, charging stations featuring PV power generation and power storage can fully charge a vehicle within 10 minutes at the fastest. All venues of the BFA annual conference are powered by green electricity. The Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone provides a reliable environmentally friendly model, said a reporter from Turkey.

Photo shows a rest area in the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

The demonstration zone is fully powered by green electricity, with an annual production of about 32 million kWh of green electricity, much higher than its annual electricity demand of around 17 million kWh, said Hu Yaowen, head of the Hainan branch of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.

Hu added that the demonstration zone is expected to reserve about 7,720 tonnes of negative carbon every year.

Meanwhile, carbon-reduction technologies and various innovations were adopted to advance environmentally friendly upgrades for existing infrastructure on Dongyu Island.

Hu Juntao, general manager of HYC Technology, who has participated in the BFA for eight consecutive years, said that the 2024 forum saw more green and low-carbon measures than in previous years.

"In 2023, only cars were new-energy vehicles (NEVs) on Dongyu Island. But this year, buses and minibuses at the venue have been replaced by NEVs. What's more, the proportion of renewable materials used in conference supplies is increasing year by year," Hu added.

Photo shows photovoltaic tiles in the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

The operations of all these technologies and innovations were managed by an intelligent platform at the management center of the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone.

The platform is connected to the terminal facilities in the demonstration zone based on wireless Internet of Things communications technology. These facilities can monitor all energy consumption and carbon emissions within the zone at any time, said Ma Huaixu, an electrical engineer for the green renovation project of the Boao near-zero carbon demonstration zone led by China Railway Construction Group Co., Ltd.

Ma added that all carbon emissions data is traceable and manageable, providing digital support for continuous optimization, efficient operations, and other enhancements of the island's equipment in the future.

"We hope to explore a micro model that helps advance green and carbon emissions reduction in urban built-up areas to form practices applicable to other areas," said Fu Sheng, mayor of Qionghai city.