Baden-Württemberg State Distribution Grid Company (Netze BW) visit to China for exchange
In September 2024, Dr. Martin Konermann, CTO of Netze BW, the largest electricity, gas and water grid company in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, visited China for a week-long exchange. Organized under the Sino-German Energy Partnership and led by the energy transition research and think tank cooperation component, the exchange aims to strengthen collaboration between the two countries’ grid operators, focusing on ensuring power system security in the context of increasing shares of renewable energy.
The delegation visited the National Energy Administration of China (NEA) and its subordinate think tanks, engaging in in-depth discussions on the status of electricity distribution networks in China and Germany. The exchanges focused on the challenges faced by power grids amid increasing shares of renewable energy and the strategies to address them.
The delegation also visited China Electricity Council, Siemens Energy, NIO Electric Vehicles and China Southern Power Grid, where they explored projects on medium-voltage transformers, V2G, electricity to hydrogen station, VPP and intelligent transmission and distribution systems.
China and Germany face numerous shared challenges in advancing their energy transitions, expanding renewable energy, ensuring grid security with high shares of renewables. Strengthening exchanges between energy transition think tanks and grid operators will significantly promote cooperation in policy development, experience sharing, and addressing common operational issues. Such collaboration not only deepens mutual understanding of each country's specific conditions but also enables the joint exploration of best practices for integrating renewable energy into the grid, further advancing the global energy transition and achieving climate goals.
