Against the backdrop of continuous growth in global electricity demand, the power supply problem of power transformers is becoming increasingly prominent. Recently, billionaire Musk issued a warning on a podcast that there is a danger in the United States that there will be a shortage of power transformers, which will trigger an energy crisis. This issue has always been highly valued by people, especially as the US power grid continues to expand its capacity to adapt to the transition to new energy.
A report released by the US Economic Review Council in June 2023 showed that Midea’s power transformers are experiencing increasing shortages, with delivery times exceeding a year, and their prices have also increased fourfold in 2020. Meanwhile, about 70% of the access and distribution equipment in the US power grid is aging, and most of it relies on imports, resulting in a significant domestic supply gap.
The US Department of Energy has listed its core raw materials as special silicon steel sheets for “secondary key materials”. Although the production of Midea’s silicon steel is constantly increasing, it still cannot meet the needs of the market, and cannot compete with foreign products in terms of price and quality. In addition, the import tax imposed by the United States on China also restricts the supply of power transformers.
The demand for American power transformers is expected to increase by nearly 50% by 2030, due to strengthening the power grid and replacing outdated equipment. However, supply issues can also bring some challenges to this development, especially the lack of skilled technicians who possess important technologies such as welding, coil production, and transformer testing.
China’s transformer industry has become the second largest exporter of power transformers in the world. China not only has an absolute advantage in power transformers, but also has an absolute advantage internationally. According to relevant data, China has about 83.5% of patent applications in the world, making it the world’s largest exporter of technology products.
In this situation, Chinese power transformer enterprises have the opportunity to further expand their market share and achieve rapid growth. Especially with the investment of the US government in new energy, electrification and other fields, more opportunities will emerge in China’s transformer market.
However, the current problems in the operation of China’s power grid are not to be ignored, which also puts forward new requirements for us to take measures as soon as possible to ensure the stable operation of the power grid, especially at the critical moment of new energy transformation. If no measures are taken, problems such as energy scarcity and energy crisis will arise, which will have a huge impact on China’s economy and people’s lives.
In recent years, due to the increasingly prominent problem of power transformation and distribution, all parties are actively seeking solutions to ensure the stability and sustainable development of power supply. The US government can take measures in the supply of power transformers to encourage domestic manufacturers to increase production capacity and increase investment in power transformers. These measures may include providing economic incentives, reducing production costs, and providing support to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic transformer manufacturing industry.
American Electric can meet its domestic needs by collaborating with foreign transformer manufacturers and collaborating globally. These collaborations include technology sharing, production cooperation, and joint research and development plans to accelerate the supply of power transformers. To solve the power supply problem of the transformation and distribution system, technological innovation is necessary.
The US government can encourage research institutes, universities, and private companies to increase their research and development of power converter technology to explore more efficient, sustainable, and advanced production methods to meet future requirements for power quality. Clean energy conversion is one of the main reasons driving the increase in electricity demand. Accelerating the application of clean energy will reduce the demand for conventional power transformers and alleviate power supply pressure. The country can introduce policies to promote the development and utilization of clean energy.
From a long-term perspective, in order to solve the supply problem of power transformers, it is necessary to cooperate in multiple aspects. Through the above measures, Meineng can better meet the supply challenges and ensure the reliable and stable operation of the power grid. In addition, the issue of transformer supply is an opportunity for power transformer producing countries like China to continuously increase their market share in the international market, promote the modernization and sustainable development of the power grid. The emergence of power transformation and distribution systems has sounded an alarm for people, that is, the “power grid” is an important infrastructure. To ensure the normal operation of the power grid, it is necessary to ensure its normal operation.
Post time: Apr-27-2024
