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Chinas first net-zero carbon highway, the 152.7km Jinan-Hefei, has opened to traffic with renewable energy systems, advanced tracking technology and design elements aimed at reducing net carbon emissions by 9,000 tonnes per year.
The Jinan-Hefei Expressway (G35), a flagship project in China’s push for green infrastructure, has opened to traffic. The highway, developed by Shandong Hi-Speed ??Group (SDHS), is China’s first zero-carbon highway and a key milestone in sustainable transport.
The expanded 152.7km Jihe Expressway now features eight lanes with a speed limit of 120km/h, three service areas, two parking areas and 10 toll stations.
Eco-design has played a central role in the project, incorporating renewable energy systems, energy-saving measures to reduce carbon emissions and a zero-carbon integrated control system.
Distributed solar, small-scale wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps, energy storage, nearly zero-energy buildings, off-grid microlighting, and forest carbon sinks all aim to substantially reduce emissions.
Officials estimate the highway will emit 13,600 tonnes of carbon annually, but they expect clean energy technologies to offset emissions by 22,500 tonnes a year, for a net reduction of 9,000 tonnes a year.
The solar panels, installed on service area buildings, toll stations, entrance ramps and embankments, include photovoltaic carports that charge vehicles while generating 33 GWh of electricity per year from 30 MW of capacity.
The highway also integrates small wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps and distributed storage systems in the service areas, with a total energy storage capacity of 9 MW/18 MWh. A mobile energy storage system ensures backup power for the microgrid.
The project includes energy-saving improvements such as wastewater treatment, construction of nearly zero-energy buildings and expansion of vegetation cover to improve carbon sequestration.
SDHS manages thousands of highway assets with advanced tracking technology, using stack number recognition and precise location algorithms to enable real-time monitoring, inspections and maintenance through an intelligent operations platform.
The Jihe Expressway represents a major step in China’s zero-carbon highway initiative. As China’s 184,000-km highway network expands by 6,000 km annually and 3,000 km are upgraded annually, zero-carbon transformations will play a crucial role in reducing emissions and advancing the country’s green energy goals. |
