China News Service, Ningxia Yanchi, October 30th. Title: The deep autumn wind in the Gobi Desert continues, and the old Yanchi area plays the concerto of oil, gas, scenery and storage.
China News Service reporter Yu Jing
In late autumn, there is a strong wind in the Yanchi wilderness on the southern edge of Mu Us Sandy Land. The strong winds that once stirred up dust are now driving towering wind turbines; continuous photovoltaic panels are bathing in the autumn sun; gas gathering station pipelines are crisscrossed; energy storage cabins are neatly arranged; underground natural gas is smoothly delivered along the pipelines. The reporter visited this old revolutionary area on the 30th. Oil, gas, wind, solar energy and storage worked together to create a new picture of energy transformation in the desert.
Driving into Wanglejing Township, Ningyi Gas Station is the core hub of the Qingshimao 100 billion cubic meter gas field. It is responsible for the collection, dehydration and separation of natural gas from surrounding gas wells, and pressurized export. It has a daily processing capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters, taking into account both the supply of industrial raw materials and the guarantee of gas for people's livelihood.
This station, which will be put into operation in 2022, is relying on digital transformation to improve quality and efficiency. In the past, the management and maintenance of wellheads were scattered, and operation and maintenance personnel had to travel long distances in the Gobi. Now, in the central control room, five staff can manage and control two gas gathering stations and 146 peripheral gas wells relying on the digital system. The field wellhead is equipped with photovoltaic self-power supply, and equipment control and data monitoring can be completed remotely.
The person in charge of the Ningqing operation area said that the station has reserved space for expansion, and new equipment can be connected to pipelines like building blocks, without the need to stop work and start a fire. At present, the gas production of this block accounts for 30% of the total output of Yumen Oilfield. The station is equipped with photovoltaic projects and uses self-produced green gas to assist gas production. Decarbonization equipment will be installed in the future to further improve the cleanliness of natural gas.
Echoing the gas gathering station, the Ningxia Hanjun New Energy Salt Pond Energy Storage Power Station in the same hometown is a "giant power bank" in the Gobi. Rows of liquid-cooled prefabricated cabins are arranged in an orderly manner, forming an energy combination of "gas" and "storage" with the underground gas veins.
"The Gobi has abundant scenery resources, but power generation fluctuates greatly." The person in charge of power station operation and maintenance said that the energy storage power station assumes the function of a power grid regulator, storing electricity during low valleys and transmitting electricity during peak periods, smoothing fluctuations in wind and solar output and improving new energy consumption capabilities. The Gobi desert has a large temperature difference between day and night and frequent sandstorms, which is a severe test for the equipment. The operation and maintenance team is on duty 24 hours a day, keeping an eye on hundreds of operating parameters, closely monitoring the status of the battery cells, and maintaining the safety defense line for green power grid connection.
The implementation of the project has also driven local people to work nearby. The energy storage facilities on the former deserted beaches have transformed green resources into tangible benefits for the people.
The two stations are just a microcosm of Yanchi’s energy layout. In the early years, the local area only had oil resources. In 2019, the Qingshimao 100-billion-square-meter gas field was discovered, ending Ningxia's history of "oil but no gas." Today, more than 80% of the Yanchi area has proven underground oil and gas reserves.
Underground oil and gas supply continues to be guaranteed, ground wind turbines chase the wind, and photovoltaics capture the light. Traditional oil and gas and wind and solar new energy are complementary and synergistic. The salt pond in the red old district is transforming the wind, light and oil and gas resources of the desert into stable fireworks gas for thousands of households, steadily embarking on a green transformation path with the characteristics of the old district.
