In-depth Analysis: The Challenges of Building Zero-Carbon Parks (Part 1)

2015Year10Month, the state first proposed in the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan Outline"“Near-zero carbon emission zone demonstration project”This concept aims to further deepen various low-carbon pilot projects, control greenhouse gas emissions, and can be seen as a precursor to zero-carbon parks.2024Year12Month12Day, the Central Economic Work Conference first mentioned“Zero-carbon park”and explicitly stated the need to establish a number of zero-carbon parks, marking the formal elevation of zero-carbon park construction to the national strategic level. From“Near-zero carbon emission zone demonstration project”Since its proposal, nearly10years have passed, and it largely remains at the demonstration project stage without large-scale development. The reasons are multifaceted, involving policy, standards, and systems, and also include difficulties in technology and economic efficiency. Now that zero-carbon parks have been included in the government work report for the first time, zero-carbon park construction has ushered in a new development opportunity. However, difficulties in zero-carbon park construction still exist. The following is a discussion on these difficulties. The content is extensive, so the author will publish it in2installments. This article contains2182characters and takes approximately7minutes to read.

I. Challenges in Energy Transformation

Energy transformation is the core task and one of the greatest challenges in zero-carbon park construction. To achieve the goal of zero-carbon parks, it is necessary to break away from dependence on traditional fossil fuels and instead use renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. However, in practice, this transformation faces many difficulties. The instability of renewable energy, technological bottlenecks in energy storage, and the difficulties in energy transmission are all stumbling blocks on the road to zero-carbon park construction.

（1）Instability of Renewable Energy

Although solar and wind energy are clean and pollution-free, their power generation capacity is affected by natural factors such as weather, season, and time, and is highly unstable. According to relevant data, the fluctuation range of solar photovoltaic power generation in some parts of China can reach50%or more within a day, and the fluctuation of wind power generation is also significant. This instability poses a huge challenge to the stable power supply of zero-carbon parks. To ensure the stability of energy supply, parks have to be equipped with backup traditional energy generating equipment, which not only increases construction and operating costs but also contradicts the original intention of building zero-carbon parks.

（2）Technological Bottlenecks in Energy Storage
 

To cope with the instability of renewable energy, energy storage technology is crucial. Currently, battery energy storage technology is the most widely used storage method, but it still has many shortcomings in capacity, life, and cost, and the high cost of energy storage makes many parks hesitant. It is estimated that the construction of a medium-sized zero-carbon park would require energy storage equipment investment costs of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan if sufficient battery energy storage systems were to be installed.

（3）Difficulties in Energy Transmission

The energy supply of zero-carbon parks often relies on long-distance energy transmission, and energy losses are inevitable during energy transmission. According to the basic principles of power transmission, electricity transmission will cause heat loss due to resistance, and the longer the transmission distance, the greater the loss. According to statistics, the average loss rate of China's ultra-high-voltage transmission lines is3%-5%or so, while the loss rate of ordinary transmission lines is even higher.

II. Challenges in Technological Innovation

Technological innovation is the key driver of zero-carbon park construction. However, zero-carbon park construction currently faces many difficulties in technology. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS）and other key technologies are still in the stage of tackling key problems. Compatibility and synergy issues are prominent during the integration of different technologies, and the high cost of technology application severely restricts the speed and quality of zero-carbon park construction.

（1）Difficulties in the Research and Development of Key Technologies

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS）technology is considered one of the important means to achieve zero-carbon goals. However, this technology faces many difficulties in the research and development process. Traditional carbon capture technologies consume a lot of energy. Taking chemical absorption as an example, it requires a large amount of energy to separate and capture carbon dioxide, which not only increases energy costs but also offsets the environmental benefits of reducing carbon emissions to a certain extent. Relevant studies have shown that using chemical absorption to capture carbon dioxide requires approximately1tons of carbon dioxide, which requires approximately3-5GJ of energy, which greatly reduces the economic viability of this technology in practical applications.

In the carbon dioxide storage stage, geological storage is the most common storage method, but the risk of carbon dioxide leakage is difficult to completely eliminate. In addition, long-term geological stability is also an issue that needs to be studied in depth. Whether the geological structure of the storage location can remain stable for decades or even hundreds of years to ensure that carbon dioxide will not leak currently lacks sufficient long-term monitoring data and research results to support it.

（2）Challenges in Technology Integration

The construction of zero-carbon parks involves the integrated application of various technologies, including renewable energy generation technology, energy storage technology, energy management technology, and carbon reduction technology. However, in the actual technology integration process, there are often compatibility and synergy issues between different technologies.

For example, the integration of solar photovoltaic power generation systems and wind power generation systems with energy storage systems faces challenges. The power generation characteristics of solar and wind energy are difficult to fully match the charging and discharging characteristics of energy storage systems, leading to energy waste or insufficient supply during energy storage and allocation. In addition, differences in communication protocols and interface standards between equipment and systems from different manufacturers will also affect the overall operating efficiency and stability of the system.

These compatibility and synergy issues significantly increase the difficulty of integrating technologies in zero-carbon parks. This not only increases construction costs and technical risks but may also lead to various malfunctions and problems during the park's operation, affecting its normal production and operation.

（3High cost of technology application

The technologies involved in the construction of zero-carbon parks, whether in R&D, equipment procurement, or maintenance, are relatively expensive. Taking energy storage technology as an example, the current mainstream lithium-ion battery energy storage system has a high initial investment cost. A medium-sized lithium-ion battery energy storage device may cost millions of yuan. Moreover, the battery has a limited lifespan and generally needs3-5to be replaced annually, which further increases long-term operating costs.

CCUSThe application cost of the technology is equally high. According to relevant data, the current cost of capturing each ton of carbon dioxide is approximately200-500yuan, and with transportation and storage costs, the total cost may reach500-1000yuan/per ton. Such high costs are unbearable for most parks, which presents a huge obstacle to the practical promotion and application of these technologies.