On March 16, 2022, Ambassador Zheng Zeguang visited Huaneng Group's battery energy storage project in Minety, Wiltshire, the UK, and had a discussion with the project operation team and representatives of project partners. Former UK Minister of State for Trade Earl of Needham, Wiltshire Councillor Chuck Berry and Chief Representative of Rep Office of Huaneng Group Guo Jingyu participated in the above activities.
During the discussion, Ambassador Zheng said that China’s Two Sessions have set the expected targets for China's economic and social development this year. China will stick to the principle of making progress while maintaining stability, and coordinate Covid-19 prevention and control efforts with economic and social development. We will proactively deal with risks and challenges, and unswervingly promote the achievement of all goals. China’s stable development will inject stability and positive energy into a world full of uncertainties. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial diplomatic relations between China and the UK. Over the past 50 years, pragmatic cooperation between China and the UK has expanded, bringing great benefits to the people of both countries. In recent years, China-UK cooperation in clean energy, low-carbon technology and green finance has been fruitful and has become a new highlight of pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. China and the UK should encourage enterprises of both countries to make further efforts to expand mutually beneficial cooperation.
While touring Huaneng’s grid-side battery energy storage project, which is the largest in Europe, Ambassador Zheng listened carefully to a presentation about the technical design, equipment functions and the second phase expansion. He called the project a typical environment-friendly project and a landmark of China-UK green development cooperation, with world-leading energy storage technology from China and unique safety, peak-shaving, and intensification features to meet the actual needs of new energy power development in the UK. He spoke highly of Huaneng's win-win partnership with the local government, communities and business associate in addition to its project success. He encouraged the company to continue pursuing both economic and social returns, demonstrate good corporate citizenship and make new contribution to promoting friendship and cooperation between Chinese and British peoples.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the Chinese and British economies are highly complementary, and the enterprises of both countries have their own advantages and great potential for cooperation. He appreciated the strong support from the Wiltshire government and Huaneng’s business partners and he stressed that the essence of pragmatic cooperation between China and the UK is mutual benefit and win-win, and the Chinese Embassy in the UK will, as always, provide assistance and services for the cooperation between the two countries.
Chief Representative Guo Jingyu thanked Ambassador Zheng for his interest in and support for Huaneng's projects and expressed Huaneng's willingness to make greater contribution to promoting China-UK cooperation in green development .
Earl of Needham and Councillor Berry said Huaneng's energy storage project is a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between the UK and China, contributing to local tax revenue and employment, promoting local economic development and boosting the development of green energy in the UK. They welcome more Chinese enterprises to follow the route of Huaneng and invest in Wiltshire.
Accompanying Ambassador Zheng on the visit were his wife Counsellor Hua Mei, and Minister Bao Ling and Minister Counsellor Zeng Rong from the Chinese Embassy.
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The Huaneng energy storage project is located in Minety, Wiltshire, UK. The main equipment was manufactured and assembled by Chinese companies, with a planned installed capacity of 99.8 MW and a total energy density of 99.8 MWh. The project construction started in December 2019 and the commercial operation began in June 2021, making it the largest grid-side battery energy storage project in operation in the UK and Europe.
