The rise of quantum technology is ushering in a revolutionary transformation in the power sector. As a cutting-edge technology exploring the laws of the microscopic world, quantum technology leverages its unique physical properties to offer novel and superior solutions for tackling longstanding challenges in power systems—including measurement precision, data security, and fault diagnosis. This holds promise for propelling the power industry into a new era of intelligence enabled by quantum technology.
The implementation of this transformation is marked by the commissioning of China's first quantum application demonstration substation. On November 29, 2024, this facility in Hefei, Anhui Province, officially commenced operations. Following over six months of trial runs, all parameters met expected requirements, representing a major breakthrough in the industrial application of quantum technology within the power sector. Situated in the core area of Hefei High-Tech Zone's "World Quantum Center," the substation integrates multiple quantum technologies, comprehensively covering the three core domains of quantum measurement, quantum communication, and quantum computing. This advancement injects powerful momentum into enhancing the secure operation of regional power systems.
The key to implementing core technologies lies in a robust "power + quantum" sensing network. The substation deploys 85 quantum devices across 18 categories. These devices operate in concert to establish a comprehensive power system sensing system, enabling faster detection, localization, and diagnosis of substation equipment failures and potential hazards, thereby effectively reducing power system inspection and maintenance costs. Among these, measurement devices account for 75 units, serving as the core force in enhancing power data collection precision. Taking current measurement as an example, quantum technology elevates measurement accuracy from the traditional thousandths-of-a-unit level to one-hundred-thousandths-of-a-unit. Even the slightest current fluctuations can be captured, providing robust data support for equipment condition assessment.
Beyond leaps in measurement precision, quantum communication technology has fortified the "security barrier" for power grid data transmission. Critical operational data—including grid dispatch information and electricity load metrics—achieves secure transmission under quantum encryption protection. Leveraging quantum physics' unique properties of "observation-induced collapse" and "non-clonability," quantum communication fundamentally eliminates risks of eavesdropping and tampering. This approach resolves the vulnerability of traditional encryption methods to quantum computing-era attacks, providing an "unbreakable" foundational safeguard for power system data security.
The commissioning of the quantum application demonstration substation not only provides surrounding high-tech industries with higher reliability in power supply and superior power quality, but also establishes a verification platform for the practical performance of quantum technology. The deep integration of power and quantum technology has not only addressed numerous pain points in traditional power systems, but also pioneered a virtuous development path of "technological innovation-industrial application-iterative optimization," offering new means and crucial support for the safe, economical, and reliable operation of power systems. As quantum technology continues to be cultivated and promoted within the power sector, it will undoubtedly propel the construction of new power systems to higher levels, ushering in a new chapter of high-quality development for the power industry!
