The Work Plan for the Orderly Development of Green Power Direct Connection in Shanghai has been recently unveiled by the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Green power direct connection refers to a new power supply model in which wind, solar, and biomass power generation facilities are connected directly to industrial consumers through dedicated transmission lines rather than being connected to the public grid.

According to the plan, Shanghai aims to establish and improve a full-cycle service support system for green power direct connection by 2030, facilitate the completion of a number of high-quality projects, and achieve a generation-side development capacity of 500,000 kilowatts.

By 2035, direct connection of green power to end-users will become an important pathway for new energy development, providing strong support for the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

The plan outlines two modes based on the number of users: single-user and multi-user.

Single-user green power direct connection refers to a dedicated new energy power plant supplying one enterprise, while multi-user direct connection allows multiple electricity users, generally excluding residential and agricultural users, to share green power through a single transmission line.

Over the past year or so, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration have jointly issued two policy documents on green power direct connection.

In 2025, pilot projects for single-user direct connection were launched, and 24 provincial-level regions across China issued implementation documents.

In 2026, the scope of application is being expanded from single users to multiple users. As of April, 99 green power direct connection projects had been approved nationwide, with a total new energy installed capacity of 34.05 million kilowatts.

Under the new policy guidance, power companies including Shanghai Electric, the Shanghai branch of China Huadian Corporation, and State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company are actively exploring deployment, with some projects already being piloted.

In May, the world's first underwater data center directly supplied with wind power began operation in the Lin-gang Special Area. The project has a planned capacity of 24 megawatts across two phases, including 2.3 megawatts in the first-phase demonstration project. More than 95 percent of the project's electricity comes from renewable sources.

Construction of the Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area Zero Carbon Bay also started in May. It is among the first batch of national-level zero-carbon park pilot projects in China and is currently the only one in Shanghai. Direct green power supply to factories is a major feature of the park.

According to Shanghai Electric, the share of green electricity used in the park is expected to rise from 20 percent to 50 percent within three years. A direct green electricity supply mechanism is expected to be established this year, with renovation to be completed in 2027 and the target set to be achieved in 2028.

Source: Jiefang Daily