On March 5, 2025, during the grand opening of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress, the Prime Minister’s government work report outlined an ambitious blueprint for this year’s energy initiatives, emphasizing the importance of “green transformation” and strategies for “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.” For the first time, the report introduced the concept of “zero-carbon parks” to the public and highlighted plans to deepen the second batch of national pilot projects for carbon peaking, aiming to establish a series of zero-carbon parks and demonstration projects.
Following this, on March 6, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology released a notification regarding the “Pilot Construction Work Plan for Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks in Sichuan Province.” The goal is to create a number of zero-carbon industrial parks across the province by 2027, focusing on developing replicable and scalable experiences in carbon reduction pathways, scenario creation, statistical accounting, management mechanisms, and development models. This initiative is poised to stimulate new growth momentum and provide robust support for a comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society.
This series of initiatives, from the central government to local authorities, sends a strong signal: by 2025, zero-carbon parks are set to become a vital engine for China’s green transformation, leading a new wave of change in the energy industry and the economy.
Zero-Carbon Parks Leading the Future, Energy Storage Companies Seize the High Ground of Green Transformation
As a frontline of green transformation, zero-carbon parks aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by integrating renewable energy, energy storage technologies, and energy efficiency improvements. This establishes a solid foundation for creating a new model of low-carbon and environmentally friendly economic development. The rise of zero-carbon parks undoubtedly opens up vast market opportunities for the energy storage industry. With the increasing share of renewable energy, the stable operation of the power system faces significant challenges. Energy storage technology serves as a strong support for the new power system, and its application scenarios in zero-carbon parks will continue to expand.
Energy storage companies can leverage their efficient and stable storage solutions to help zero-carbon parks achieve efficient energy allocation and continuous supply, thus accelerating the pace of their green transformation. Additionally, the robust development of zero-carbon parks will strongly stimulate the collaborative growth of the energy storage supply chain.
As energy storage technology matures and costs continue to decline, its application potential in the energy sector becomes increasingly evident. Energy storage companies must seize opportunities through continuous technological innovation and industry upgrades to enhance their core competitiveness and brand influence in the construction of zero-carbon parks, injecting strong momentum into the green transformation.
Forward-Looking Energy Storage Companies Target Zero-Carbon Parks, Accelerating the Green Revolution
In recent years, several forward-looking domestic energy storage companies have entered the zero-carbon park construction arena early, leveraging their deep expertise in the energy field and innovative technologies. Here are some typical examples of energy storage companies involved in zero-carbon park projects:
- Ordos Yijinhuoluo Banner Mengsu Economic Development Zone Zero-Carbon Industrial Park: In October 2021, the Ordos municipal government partnered with Envision Group to plan and launch the world’s first pioneering zero-carbon industrial park project in the Mengsu Economic Development Zone. This project integrates the latest breakthroughs in energy storage technology with cutting-edge IoT applications, aiming to harness the advantages of wind, solar, and hydrogen energy to create a stable, reliable, and cost-effective 100% green electricity supply system.
- Beijing Goldwind Technology Yizhuang Smart Park: As a pioneer in zero-carbon park construction, Goldwind Technology unveiled the “Carbon Neutral” smart park in Yizhuang in 2021, becoming the first in the country to receive authoritative certification for renewable energy “carbon neutrality.” Spanning 136 acres, the park features a built-up area of 139,000 square meters and accommodates over 4,000 employees, with an annual electricity demand of around 15 million kilowatt-hours. Since its establishment in 2010, the park has incorporated intelligent design principles, deploying smart microgrids, energy management, smart water services, smart operations, smart agriculture, and smart health systems to create a comprehensive smart management system.
- Fujian-Taiwan (Fuzhou) Blue Economy Industrial Park: This park stands as a leading example of a “nuclear-driven + zero-carbon intelligence” ecological industrial park. It utilizes existing resources from six million-kilowatt nuclear power units at the Fujian Nuclear Power Plant and plans for future expansion. The project’s core objective is to achieve “five zero” carbon emissions within the region: zero-carbon steam supply, zero-carbon cooling, zero-carbon heating, zero-carbon water supply, and zero-carbon electricity supply.
- Qingdao Kechuang Blue Carbon Reduction Zero-Carbon Financial Technology Park: This high-tech park officially signed its project on January 17, 2022. It employs self-developed heat pump technology to meet heating and cooling needs and establishes a photovoltaic distributed power station for energy self-sufficiency in heating, cooling, power supply, and hot water. This innovative energy supply model has transformed the park into a zero-carbon demonstration area.
- Haikou Jiangdong New District Zero-Carbon New City Construction Project: The Jiangdong Development Building Project has achieved significant results in green building and energy conservation. The project employs sponge city measures, such as permeable pavements and rainwater retention systems, and its water supply system is equipped with water-saving fixtures, achieving a 90% water-saving irrigation rate for green spaces.
Global Zero-Carbon Park Construction is Gaining Momentum: How Can China Learn from International Experiences?
Internationally, the construction of zero-carbon parks has also achieved remarkable outcomes. Countries have effectively controlled carbon emissions through the active development of renewable energy, careful construction of circular economy industrial chains, and widespread application of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. These successful international experiences offer valuable references for the construction of zero-carbon parks in China. For example:
- Germany: The government has implemented a series of policies to encourage parks to optimize and upgrade their energy systems, accelerating the green low-carbon transformation. The Berlin Europark Zero-Carbon Technology Park exemplifies successful integration of zero-carbon technology systems, utilizing solar and wind energy and smart grid systems for optimized energy distribution.
- United Kingdom: The government has established an industrial strategy challenge fund to promote the construction and investment of net-zero emission industrial clusters. The Humber and Teesside industrial clusters are actively promoting zero-carbon transformations, focusing on developing hydrogen and wind energy while constructing offshore wind projects and carbon transportation and storage facilities.
- Denmark: The Kalundborg Industrial Park has achieved net-zero emissions through an innovative “industrial symbiosis system,” promoting close cooperation among businesses and maximizing resource utilization.
Challenges in Promoting Zero-Carbon Parks: Technical Bottlenecks and Cost Issues
As global energy transformation accelerates, zero-carbon parks are emerging as a new trend in the transition process. Renewable energy’s increasing importance positions it as a core pillar of future energy supply, laying a solid foundation for the development of zero-carbon parks. However, the promotion of zero-carbon parks is not without obstacles. Technical bottlenecks and high costs are significant barriers. The intermittent and unstable nature of renewable energy raises demands for the flexibility and economic viability of energy storage technologies.
Furthermore, the inadequacies in policy and regulatory frameworks hinder the smooth advancement of zero-carbon parks. International cooperation and coordination challenges arise from differences in transformation goals, implementation paths, and specific measures among countries, complicating the global promotion of the zero-carbon park concept.
Accelerating Zero-Carbon Park Construction: Dual Focus on Technological Innovation and Collaborative Mechanisms
To meet the complex demands and challenges of zero-carbon parks, energy storage companies must continuously advance technology frontiers and explore innovative business models to adapt flexibly to market changes. Technological innovation is the core driving force behind zero-carbon park construction. By integrating renewable energy with energy storage technologies like lithium-ion and flow batteries, these companies are working to achieve efficient energy utilization and zero-carbon emission goals within parks.
Additionally, the development and application of hydrogen energy technologies open new avenues for zero-carbon parks. As a clean and efficient energy source, hydrogen has extensive application prospects. Energy storage companies are dedicated to researching hydrogen production, storage, and utilization technologies to enhance energy conversion and usage efficiency within parks.
Moreover, energy efficiency improvements and intelligent management systems are vital components of zero-carbon park construction. Energy storage companies employ advanced technologies and management systems to achieve efficient energy utilization and meticulous management within parks. These systems can monitor energy usage and carbon emissions in real time, providing solid support for green transformation and sustainable development.
In conclusion, as energy storage companies continue to lead the charge in zero-carbon park construction, they will drive these parks towards a greener, low-carbon, and sustainable future. With the continuous maturation and cost-effectiveness of energy storage technologies, their application in zero-carbon parks will become increasingly widespread and profound, supporting efficient energy utilization and significant carbon emission reductions. Concurrently, proactive government policies and improved market mechanisms will create a more favorable environment for the robust development of zero-carbon parks, facilitating the transition from concept to practice and from pilot projects to large-scale applications.
