Qingdao inks deal for power equipment testing center

The Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Qingdao FTZ), located in Qingdao West Coast New Area, sealed a major deal with a power equipment testing center project, which boasts a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan ($205.06 million) on April 10.

This initiative aims to establish a cutting-edge domestic hub for research and development in power equipment testing.

Operated by the Qingdao Product Quality Testing Research Institute, the project will house a national quality supervision and testing center for intelligent power transmission and distribution equipment, as well as new energy electrical equipment. Core services will include electrical performance testing for high and low voltage electrical appliances, research and development in smart grid technology, and environmental testing, all of which will be supported by state-of-the-art testing laboratories and a digital service platform.

Upon completion, the project will not only cater to the testing and certification needs of power equipment companies in Shandong and neighboring provinces but will also serve as a crucial technical backbone for burgeoning industries like wind power, photovoltaics, and energy storage.

Qingdao FTZ has already attracted a cluster of distinctive industries such as new energy equipment, smart home appliances, integrated circuits, and inspection and testing. This latest addition will address the shortcomings in the power equipment testing sector within the zone, so as to establish a seamless "research and development-manufacturing-testing" cycle alongside key players like Siemens and Chint Power.