China would step up efforts to further promote 5G applications in the energy industry, according to an implementation plan recently co-issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration, Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The plan places 5G as an important strategic resource and new infrastructure to support energy transformation with high speed, low latency and large connection capabilities.
The integration of 5G with various areas in the energy field would drive innovation in energy production and consumption modes, thus injecting vitality into energy revolution.
According to the plan, in the following three to five years, efforts will be made to expand a number of 5G application scenarios around smart power plant, smart grid, smart coal mine, smart oil and gas, comprehensive energy, intelligent manufacturing and construction, and to explore the building of replicable business models that can be easily rolled out.
Specifically, in terms of smart power plant plus 5G, the implementation plan proposed to conduct research on 5G networking and access schemes specific for intelligent power plan, achieve 5G wireless network coverage in power plants.
Use technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and edge computing to build an industrial IoT and data transmission network suitable for the complex environment of power plants.
Concerning intelligent manufacturing and construction plus 5G, the plan said that priorities should be given to applying 5G in typical business scenarios such as intelligent manufacturing of energy equipment, information collection at construction site.
Also, on-site operation, remote supervision and on-site safety, so as to make energy equipment manufacturing smarter and engineering construction more efficient.
According to the plan, with financial funds from the central government playing a leading role in driving investment, more private capital would be brought in to promote 5G applications and innovation in the energy field.
The implementation plan also encourages qualified regions and enterprises to take the lead in piloting 5G use in the technology innovation, supporting products, business models, development formats, systems and mechanisms, and other areas in the energy industry.
