The Potential of Photovoltaics to Power the Railway System in China

Li Ji,Limin Jia,Jing Ma,Zhenwei Yu,Fuwei Ning

doi:10.3390/en13153844

Li Ji, Limin Jia + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153844

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Abstract

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s forecast, China will fully electrify its railway system by 2050. However, the development of electrified railways is limited in the weak areas of China’s power grid. To surpass these limitations, we turn our attention to new railway energy sources, among which the most suitable is photovoltaic power generation. To evaluate the feasibility of integrating railway systems and photovoltaic power generation in China, this paper analyzes the geographical conditions and railway layout of China, gives a potential method for evaluating railway asset energy transformation measures and asset energy transformations that are suitable for China’s national conditions, and proposes an application of railway system energy transformation on this basis. Then, this method is used to evaluate the potential of a substation section of the Lanxin high-speed railway in China for reference. The results show that the green energy potential and scheduling potential of China’s railway assets are great and can effectively alleviate the energy anxiety of China’s railway system.

Highlights

With the continuous development of China’s economic construction and the growth of energy demand, the relative shortage of energy and its contrast with economic growth have become increasingly prominent
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects that China will enter the era of fully electrified railways by 2050
After analyzing the cross layout of China’s railway network and solar energy resource, we propose a method for evaluating the energization potential of the railway system suitable for China’s national conditions and for integrating the railway system and the PV industry

Summary

Introduction

With the continuous development of China’s economic construction and the growth of energy demand, the relative shortage of energy and its contrast with economic growth have become increasingly prominent. From the perspective of energy and emissions, railways are the most energy-efficient and lowest-emission transport type. Railways are the most electrified transportation sector: three-quarters of passenger transportation and half of freight transportation rely on electricity provided by the power grid [3]. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects that China will enter the era of fully electrified railways by 2050. The distribution of China’s power grid will limit this development. Apart from that, developing electrified railways is difficult in areas with weak grids

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Results

Conclusion