Recently, China's largest non-interference geothermal heating system has been 
activated at the Western China Science & Technology Innovation Harbor in Fengxi 
New City, Xixian New Area, Shaanxi Province, according to the Party Committee 
of Fengxi New City. Six of these integrated energy supply stations will be 
providing heating, cooling and hot water for buildings totalling 1.59 million 
square meters so as to meet the energy needs of Xi'an Jiaotong University's 
25,000 researchers and 10,000 faculty members in the Innovation Harbor.

It is understood that the project utilizes non-interference geothermal heating 
technology and medium-deep geothermal energy to provide a clean heat source. 
Using metal conduit and a heat exchange medium, heat (but not water) is taken 
from deep underground (2 to 3 kilometers in depth) where there are stores of 
geothermal energy at a temperature of 70 degrees centigrade to 120 degrees 
centigrade.

The project, compared with conventional coal-fired boilers, turning to this 
technology for heating can, in one heating period during a year, reduces carbon 
dioxide emissions by 68,000 tons and other emissions such as sulfur dioxide and 
nitrogen oxide by 850 tons, which is equivalent to 25,400 tons of standard coal.

The first to explore the large-scale application of this new technology in 
China, Fengxi New City has been piloting it in several areas, e.g. Tongde 
Jiayuan Community and Headquarters Econ Park, since 2015 to date, the scale of 
completed applications combined with work-in-progress is 10 million square 
meters. A state-owned enterprise of Fengxi New City, the Fengxi Energy 
Company's technology research and development team accounts for more than 60% 
of its total workforce and has secured more than 10 patents. It has the 
capacity to serve the full life cycle from planning and design to construction 
and operation, and has become a pioneer in promoting the energy consumption 
revolution.

Since the commencement of construction, Fengxi New City has actively explored 
the green growth path. In 2015, it was chosen as one of the pilot cities for 
the Sponge City project. Up until the present time, some 2.4 million square 
meters of sponge park, more than 80 kilometers of sponge roads, almost 2 
million square meters of green park space, and a four-level rainwater 
harvesting and utilization system have been built. It has ultimately realized 
the vision of no waterlogging in heavy rain, no ponding in light rain, absence 
of black and odorous water bodies, reduced heat-island effect and the average 
groundwater level has risen by 3.43 meters. A typical response of the Chinese 
government to climate change, it was showcased at the United Nations Climate 
Change Conference in Paris.

In recent years, Fengxi New City has appeared frequently on the international 
stage.

In September 2018, the city hosted the Sino-Asia Pacific Urban Energy 
Conference, convened to discuss regional energy utilization practices and 
experiences, as well as the 2018 International Sponge City Conference, at which 
more than one hundred leading experts and scholars assembled to gain insights 
into the Chinese approach to and expertise in global ecological construction.

At the invitation in June 2019 of the United Nations Environment Programme 
(UNEP), Fengxi New City outlined its experience in the use of deep geothermal 
energy at the annual meeting of the District Energy in Cities Initiative, and 
at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council meeting in Copenhagen. In the 
same year, representatives of the city were invited to attend the 2nd 
International Forum on Low Carbon Development for Cities held in Seoul, South 
Korea, where the remarkable results of its green development were presented to 
the world.

In July, its representatives attended UNESCO's Global Eco-Hydrological 
Demonstration Site Conference, and Fengxi New City was certified by UNESCO as a 
new global eco-hydrological demonstration site.

In August, the city hosted the highly successful International Clean Heating 
Summit Forum 2019, where deep geothermal heating technology was widely 
acclaimed and proclaimed to be the energy source of the future by industry 
experts and scholars; Headquarters Econ Parks integrated energy supply station 
in Fengxi New City was presented with the National Clean Energy Demonstration 
Project Award. 

"We are integrating advanced energy technologies such as deep geothermal 
energy, ground source heat pumps, solar energy, wind energy, ice storage and 
other sources. With the new generation of information technologies, we will 
provide energy services to schools, hospitals, residential communities, 
commercial complexes and science parks; we will establish the Regional Internet 
of Energy in an endeavor to provide smart energy services; and we will create 
green and low-carbon urban areas," said Liu Yubin, Member of the Party Working 
Committee of Xixian New Area, Secretary of the Party Committee of Fengxi New 
City and Director of the Management Committee.

Source: The Party Committee of Fengxi New City, Xixian New Area

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   Caption: Western China Science & Technology Innovation Harbor