China unveils first AI operation model for large-scale clean energy base

CHENGDU, July 16 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday unveiled its first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart operation model for a 10-million-kilowatt-class integrated hydropower, wind and solar energy base, marking a new step in applying AI to large-scale clean energy base operation.

Developed by Yalong River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd. for the Yalong River integrated clean energy base in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the model supports forecasting, power dispatching, operations and market trading for the coordinated management of hydropower, wind and solar resources.

The model is built on domestic computing infrastructure and backed by the country's first high-altitude cavern-based intelligent computing center.

According to the developer, the model extends the effective forecasting period for river runoff from about 10 days to 60 days, adjusts reservoir operations in real time, and achieves a fault-identification accuracy rate of over 96 percent for photovoltaic equipment.

Chen Deliang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the model connects resource forecasting with power operation decisions and helps shift energy management from reactive adjustment to scientific prediction.

The Yalong River basin is one of China's largest integrated clean energy bases, with total installed clean energy capacity projected to reach 78 million kilowatts by 2035.

Zhao Zenghai, vice president of the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, said the model creates the first full-chain intelligent solution tailored for a 10-million-kilowatt-class clean energy base, providing a replicable pathway for similar projects and highlighting the growing role of AI in the country's green energy transition.

The launch comes after China, in May, unveiled 51 high-value "AI+Energy" application scenarios, underscoring the country's broader push to scale up AI use in the energy sector.

Amid profound changes in the global energy landscape, deeper integration of AI and energy is seen as key to improving the resilience and efficiency of energy systems, while also carrying significance for China's development, industrial competitiveness and energy security, experts said.