On August 7, 2026, Guangzhou Zhiguang Electric Co., Ltd. (“Zhiguang Electric”) officially commenced operations at its Solid-State Transformer (SST) Demonstration Base in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. The company also hosted a technical forum focused on SST technologies and applications at the Zhiguang Yonghe New Energy Storage Industrial Park.
More than 200 representatives from government agencies, research institutions, power grid and energy companies, telecommunications providers, industry partners, technical organizations, and other stakeholders attended the event to witness the commissioning of Guangdong Province’s first solid-state transformer demonstration project with fully independent intellectual property rights.
The event featured cooperation agreement signings, the official commissioning ceremony, technical discussions, and an on-site project tour. Together, these activities highlighted the technological advances and commercial potential of solid-state transformers while supporting the continued development of the digital energy industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Government and Industry Join Forces to Advance New Quality Productive Forces
Li Yongxi, Chairman of Zhiguang Electric, delivered opening remarks on behalf of the company. He noted that China’s “Dual Carbon” strategy and the development of new power systems are accelerating the digital transformation of the power equipment industry. In line with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan and its long-term development strategy, Zhiguang Electric has identified SST as a core strategic product for its digital energy business and is building a dual-technology platform centered on “energy storage + SST” to drive the company’s next phase of growth.
The Coota solid-state transformer represents more than a new product. It builds on Zhiguang Electric’s more than two decades of experience in high-power power electronics and serves as a key technology for integrating power generation, the grid, loads, energy storage, and computing infrastructure. Located in Huangpu and serving the broader Greater Bay Area, the Demonstration Base will operate as an integrated platform for R&D, manufacturing, testing, and application demonstration. Its four core functions are product validation, application demonstration, technology development, and ecosystem collaboration.
Through long-term testing under a range of operating conditions, Zhiguang Electric will continue to improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of its SST products. The facility will also provide an open platform for industry collaboration, support the development of SST technical standards, and contribute to the localization and strengthening of the domestic supply chain.
Chen Jianhua, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, said the Zhiguang Electric Coota Huangpu Demonstration Base represents not only Guangdong Province’s first solid-state transformer demonstration project with fully independent intellectual property rights, but also another significant achievement in the development of new quality productive forces in Guangzhou.
He noted that the rapid growth of emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and advanced semiconductors is reshaping the global energy landscape. As solid-state transformers enter a critical stage of commercialization, Zhiguang Electric’s latest product is positioned to support the growing demand for coordinated development between computing infrastructure and electricity, providing an efficient solution to the energy challenges associated with the expansion of computing capacity.
Chen highlighted three priorities for Guangzhou’s continued development of the SST industry:
1.Strengthening innovation. Guangzhou will support the establishment of an SST innovation consortium, encourage industry associations to develop relevant standards, establish public testing and demonstration platforms, and promote breakthroughs in critical technologies.
2.Expanding Application Scenarios. The city will develop demonstration projects across areas including new energy storage facilities, smart microgrids, ultra-fast charging stations, industrial parks, rail transportation, and AI computing centers, using real-world applications to accelerate technological and industrial development.
3.Building a Strong Industrial Ecosystem. Guangzhou will strengthen and extend the SST supply chain, attract upstream and downstream partners, and work to establish a large-scale solid-state transformer industry cluster.
Liu Tieming, Deputy Director-General-level Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, noted that Guangdong is China’s largest province in terms of both economic output and electricity demand. The province continues to experience rapid growth in electricity demand, renewable energy, computing infrastructure, and energy storage, making the development of new power systems an increasingly urgent priority.
As an “intelligent energy router” for new power systems, solid-state transformers enable AC/DC interconnection and bidirectional power control, making them an important technology for the intelligent modernization of distribution networks. Liu noted that the Huangpu Demonstration Base represents an important benchmark for the industrialization of solid-state transformers in China and demonstrates the commitment of Guangzhou’s power equipment industry to independent innovation and the development of advanced domestic technologies.
Liu outlined three priorities for the continued development of the industry:
1.Advancing Core Technologies. Companies should continue improving the localization of key components and system-level control technologies, strengthen collaboration among industry, universities, and research institutions, and develop an independently controllable SST technology system with international competitiveness.
2.Expanding Demonstration Applications. Building on the Greater Bay Area’s strong manufacturing base, industry stakeholders should develop standardized and replicable SST solutions for applications including AI computing centers, solar-storage-charging microgrids, and renewable energy grid integration.
3.Strengthening the Industrial Ecosystem. Leading companies should play a greater role in bringing together upstream and downstream partners and developing a comprehensive smart-grid industry cluster.
Going forward, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology will continue to leverage policies supporting major first-of-a-kind technical equipment, manufacturing innovation platforms, green manufacturing, and other initiatives to accelerate the commercialization of advanced power equipment and support the development of the Greater Bay Area as a leading demonstration zone for new power systems.
Comprehensive Project Presentation and Commissioning Ceremony
Gao Shuai, a technical expert at Zhiguang Electric, delivered a presentation titled “Introduction to the Solid-State Transformer Demonstration Project,” providing an overview of the Coota SST’s key application scenarios, technical advantages, and commercialization pathways. The system uses a 4.2 MW high-capacity grid-forming SST to enable highly efficient, one-step conversion from 10 kV AC to 800 V DC, addressing the high energy losses and large footprint associated with conventional multi-stage power distribution systems. With bidirectional energy flow and millisecond-level power regulation, the system can support a flexible medium-voltage direct-connected ultra-fast charging network and enable V2G (vehicle-to-grid) bidirectional interaction. This allows charging infrastructure to function as a flexible and controllable resource for the power grid.
The event also featured a formal cooperation-signing ceremony. Zhiguang Electric signed letters of intent for solid-state transformer procurement with seven companies: Wanjia Denghuo Energy Group Co., Ltd., Singapore Tongda Energy Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Xinzili Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Wanbang Digital Energy Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Guangchi Qiyuan Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Xinjuneng Semiconductor Co., Ltd., and Runjian Co., Ltd. The agreements establish long-term partnerships with industry stakeholders and support the continued commercialization and market expansion of Zhiguang Electric’s Coota solid-state transformer.
The commissioning ceremony was jointly officiated by ten representatives, including government officials, industry leaders, and representatives from participating companies. Participants included Chen Jianhua, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Government; Liu Tieming, Deputy Director-General-level Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology; Li Yongxi, Chairman of Zhiguang Electric; Jiang Xinyu, President of Zhiguang Electric; and Liu Yuming, Chairman of the Guangzhou Electric Vehicle Charging and Battery-Swapping Facilities Industry Association.
The ceremony marked the official transition of the Huangpu Demonstration Base into a new phase of demonstration operations and external service provision.
Advancing Technology and Building a Collaborative SST Innovation Ecosystem
During the SST technical forum, experts from certification organizations, corporate R&D teams, and international testing and certification platforms shared insights across three key areas: technical validation, application solutions, and regulatory compliance and certification.
Zhang Yuanxue, Business Manager of the Green Development Division of the China Quality Certification Centre, delivered a presentation titled “Advancing SST Industrialization Through Collaboration: Supporting New Power System Innovation Through Authoritative Testing and Validation.” She discussed the role of third-party quality certification in supporting the reliability and standardization of solid-state transformer products.
Tang Xu, Technical Director of Zhiguang Energy Storage, presented “High-Voltage Direct-Connected Energy Storage and SST Solutions for Data Centers and New Power Systems,” focusing on the high-density power requirements of computing infrastructure and the development of efficient DC power distribution solutions.
Zhou Haikuan, Technical Director of the Zhiguang Research Institute, presented “SST Solutions for Solar-Storage-Charging Smart Microgrids,” outlining approaches for integrating distributed renewable energy, energy storage, and charging infrastructure within industrial parks.
Qiu Bili, Technical Director of Smart Energy and Energy Storage at T?V S?D Greater China, presented “SST Compliance Certification: Key Pathways from R&D to Market,” outlining the compliance process from prototype development and type testing through commercialization.
The forum provided a platform for government representatives, researchers, manufacturers, certification organizations, and end users to exchange perspectives, address industry challenges, and share technological developments. The discussions will help support the continued development of SST standards, technological innovation, and collaboration across the industry.
Demonstrating Innovation and Advancing the Greater Bay Area’s Digital Energy Industry
The newly commissioned Zhiguang Electric Coota Guangzhou Huangpu Demonstration Base represents a significant milestone in the development of high-end power electronic equipment by Guangdong-based enterprises. The facility integrates R&D, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and application demonstration capabilities, providing a comprehensive platform for advancing SST technology and commercialization.
As the energy industry enters a new stage of development under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, Zhiguang Electric will leverage Guangdong’s strong manufacturing base and Huangpu’s industrial strengths to further develop its two core businesses of “energy storage + SST.” The company will continue to expand its participation in key areas including new power systems, AI computing infrastructure, new-energy vehicle charging networks, and the green transformation of industrial parks.
Zhiguang Electric will also continue to strengthen collaboration among government, industry, universities, and research institutions. By advancing independently controllable high-end power technologies, the company aims to strengthen the security and stability of industrial supply chains, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces in the energy sector, and contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a leading domestic and internationally competitive hub for solid-state transformer innovation.
Through these efforts, Zhiguang Electric aims to contribute a “Guangdong practice” and “Guangzhou model” to China’s green and low-carbon energy transition and the achievement of its “Dual Carbon” goals.
