Infrastructure serves as a crucial pillar for economic and social development. The recently released "Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of Hebei Province" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan Outline") focuses on constructing a modern infrastructure system. It proposes to "optimize the layout structure, promote integrated convergence, moderately advance the construction of new infrastructure, drive the renewal and digital-intelligent transformation of traditional infrastructure, enhance safety resilience and operational sustainability, continuously improve the support and assurance capabilities of major infrastructure, and strive to build a high-quality, modern infrastructure system."
"Infrastructure plays a foundational, pioneering, and strategic role in national economic development," said Cai Jianhui, Chief Planner of Hebei Transportation Planning and Design Research Institute Co., Ltd. He noted that the Plan Outline, based on new circumstances and requirements, makes important arrangements for new infrastructure and the construction of transportation, energy, and water conservancy infrastructure. This will further improve Hebei’s infrastructure network, optimize its layout and structure, enhance comprehensive functionality, and support the province's high-quality development.
Moderately advancing the construction of new infrastructure and expanding smart application scenarios
With the deepening development of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, new infrastructure represented by 5G, data centers, and artificial intelligence is accelerating in Hebei.
Regarding the moderate advancement of new infrastructure construction, the Plan Outline proposes measures such as "implementing high-speed intelligent information network construction projects, building a mobile Internet of Things system based on 5G and narrowband IoT with high-low coordination and ubiquitous intelligent connectivity," "deepening the large-scale deployment and application of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)," "planning low-orbit satellite internet ground gateway stations, and establishing the Hebei branch of the National Beidou Navigation Positioning Service Data Center."
"Compared to traditional infrastructure, new infrastructure is driven by technological innovation and based on information networks, playing a prominent role in promoting industrial transformation and fostering new growth drivers," Cai Jianhui stated. He believes that the construction of new infrastructure must adhere to the principle of moderate advancement, balancing intensity and pace according to local conditions and capabilities. At the same time, it requires forward-looking planning and deployment, strengthened overall coordination, and leveraging the pioneering and supportive role of new infrastructure to expand smart application scenarios.
As the province accelerates the implementation of information infrastructure construction actions, promotes deep coverage of 5G networks, advances the deployment of gigabit optical networks, and supports the construction of ground facilities for satellite internet systems, it will solidify the digital foundation for Hebei's high-quality economic development.
The Plan Outline proposes to accelerate the construction of digital-intelligent urban infrastructure, carry out intelligent upgrades of municipal facilities such as water, electricity, gas, heating, and underground utility tunnels according to local conditions, and promote the deployment of smart sensing systems for urban bridges and tunnels. Based on smart facility construction and supported by smart application scenarios, the accelerated integration of new-generation information technology with urban infrastructure will help build an intelligent and efficient new urban infrastructure system, better supporting urban industrial upgrading, integration, and innovation.
In recent years, Hebei's smart water conservancy construction has developed rapidly, with a preliminary framework for digital twin water conservancy systems, making flood forecasting and water resource allocation more precise and efficient.
Regarding accelerating the construction of a modern water network, the Plan Outline proposes measures such as "strengthening the construction of meteorological satellites, rainfall stations, hydrological stations, water level stations, and other rain and water condition monitoring facilities, optimizing the layout of engineering safety monitoring and mountain flood intelligent monitoring and early warning facilities," "accelerating the construction of a provincial water network dispatching and command system, promoting digital-intelligent construction of water network projects," and "implementing the continuation, supporting, and modernization of medium and large irrigation districts such as the Zhangfu River." These measures aim to enhance flood and waterlogging disaster prevention, coordinated water resource allocation, urban and rural water supply security, and ensure flood control, water supply, and water usage safety.
"The construction of smart water conservancy is imperative," Cai Jianhui said. Promoting the intelligent transformation of water conservancy infrastructure, improving the integrated "air-space-ground-water-engineering" monitoring and sensing network, and building an intelligent and efficient digital-intelligent water network system will drive Hebei's water network to progress from "well-built" to "well-managed" and "optimally regulated," meeting the higher demands of the people for water security, water resources, water environment, and water ecology.
Building a modern transportation infrastructure system to comprehensively enhance capacity levels
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Hebei's comprehensive transportation system construction achieved breakthrough progress. The Beijing-Harbin High-Speed Railway Beijing-Chengde section and the Beijing-Tangshan intercity railway were completed and opened to traffic. The province has basically achieved the goal of reaching highways within 10 minutes from county towns, 15 minutes from provincial-level and above development zones, and 30 minutes from 4A-level and above scenic spots. A rural road network connecting villages and towns has been basically formed.
Where will the focus of transportation infrastructure construction lie during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period? Regarding railways, the Plan Outline proposes to basically complete the Hebei sections of the national "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed railway main corridors, enhance railway freight capacity, and improve the port collection and distribution system. For highways, the Plan Outline proposes to basically complete the national expressway corridors, accelerate capacity expansion and reconstruction of important corridors and busy sections, promote the interconnection of ordinary trunk roads within the provincial network, carry out a new round of rural road improvement actions, and continuously advance the high-quality development of "Four Good Rural Roads."
"Transportation infrastructure is an important material foundation for accelerating the construction of a strong transportation province," Cai Jianhui noted. By improving the transportation infrastructure network, promoting the application of new technologies such as vehicle-road coordination and smart shipping, implementing green transformation of transportation hubs, and creating integrated transportation hubs, the resilience of the transportation network system will be effectively enhanced, comprehensively raising capacity levels.
Regarding promoting the coordinated development of airports, seaports, and land ports, the Plan Outline proposes adhering to the principle of "suitable for air, sea, or land as appropriate," further optimizing the air-sea-land collection and distribution system, vigorously developing multimodal transport, and enhancing the comprehensive service functions and supporting capabilities of the three types of ports.
Against the backdrop of deep integration of global industrial chains, multimodal transport represented by road-rail, rail-water, and air-rail intermodal transport is accelerating, adding momentum to the development of commerce, logistics, and related industries.
By strengthening cross-regional overall layout, cross-modal integrated connectivity, and cross-domain deep integration, Hebei will accelerate the coordinated linkage of airports, seaports, and land ports, achieve seamless connection between different transportation modes, and strive to create a comprehensive transportation pattern that is three-dimensionally interconnected, efficient and smooth, smart and ubiquitous, green and low-carbon, safe and reliable.
Accelerating the construction of a new energy system to promote green and low-carbon transformation
Energy is a vital material foundation and power source for economic and social development, and a main battlefield for advancing carbon peak and carbon neutrality.
The Plan Outline proposes to promote the development of non-fossil energy, implement renewable energy substitution actions, develop onshore wind and solar power, rationally plan and layout offshore wind and solar power, and plan and implement a batch of diversified and integrated development projects such as green power direct connection, source-grid-load-storage integration, and distributed development.
"Accelerating the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system is the direction of energy revolution," Cai Jianhui stated. He believes that by implementing renewable energy substitution actions and promoting the development of non-fossil energy sources like wind power, solar PV, geothermal, and green hydrogen, it will not only significantly enhance the energy security assurance capabilities of the entire province and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region but also promote green and low-carbon transformation, providing lasting impetus for ecological and environmental optimization.
While accelerating the layout of new energy, upgrading traditional energy facilities is also a key focus of the Plan Outline.
The Plan Outline proposes a series of measures, including "promoting leading coal enterprises, Huabei Oilfield, and Jidong Oilfield to maintain stable production and increase efficiency," "continuously improving the natural gas pipeline network layout, accelerating the construction of major gas source pipeline projects, coastal LNG receiving stations, and long-distance pipelines within the province," and "promoting the transformation and upgrading of thermal power generation units, implementing the transformation and upgrading of a new generation of coal-fired power." After the implementation of these measures, Hebei's energy diversification layout will be further optimized, and energy supply assurance capabilities will be enhanced.
As the energy structure adjusts rapidly, constructing energy storage facilities plays a crucial role in absorbing new energy and enhancing grid stability and comprehensive efficiency. The Plan Outline proposes to coordinate and promote the layout and construction of energy storage facilities such as pumped hydro storage, electrochemical energy storage, compressed air energy storage, flywheel energy storage, and gravity energy storage, building a diversified energy storage system.
"This deployment in the Plan Outline clarifies key tasks and indicates the main direction for the future development of our province's energy storage industry," Cai Jianhui said. It is necessary to strengthen forward-looking, systematic, and strategic research and development of key energy storage technologies, encourage reasonable configuration of energy storage for new energy projects, promote "new energy + energy storage" system-friendly new energy power stations, strengthen the construction of grid-side energy storage facilities, advance the layout and construction of energy storage facilities such as green hydrogen, ammonia, and alcohol storage and transportation bases, providing reliable energy support for Hebei's high-quality development.
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