PolyU provides global stage for “Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy 2026”, highlighting AI technologies for new-type power systems

Co-organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric), the “Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy 2026” (the Programme) concluded with a Graduation Ceremony on 17 April. Marking its ninth year of international collaboration and knowledge exchange in the energy sector, the Programme continues to serve as a pivotal platform for fostering long-term collaboration in the electric power industry among Belt and Road (B&R) countries and regions.

This year’s theme, “AI Technologies Enabling New-Type Power Systems”, aligns with the global momentum towards carbon neutrality and sustainable development while underscoring the need to safeguard energy security. The Programme attracted a record-breaking 45 energy professionals and scholars from B&R countries and regions, including China [Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Macao Special Administrative Region], Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Engineering; Mr Francis C.Y. CHENG, Managing Director of HK Electric; Mr OU Xiaoming, Chief Representative of the State Grid Hong Kong Representative Office; Mr YANG Junhu, Deputy President of the State Grid Technology College; and Ms LIANG Li, Chairman of XJTU Faculty of Electronic and Information Engineering officiated at the Graduation Ceremony.

The Programme was also honoured to welcome esteemed guests, including Mr JIN Lei, Director and Level 2 Inspector,  and Mr LIU Bin, Analysts at Level 2, both from the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Raymond POON, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR; Prof. Frank CHAN, Senior Vice President of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Prof. Alfred SIT, Chief Executive and Secretary of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Ms Anna AU, Deputy Director (Hong Kong Talent Engage) and Mr Edwin HUNG, Assistant Manager (Hong Kong Talent Engage), of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Government of the HKSAR; Mrs Karina CONCHA, Consul-General, Consulate General of Chile in Hong Kong; and representatives of the Consulate-General of Indonesia in Hong Kong, including Consul for Economic Affairs Ms Bertylani SAULINGGI, Consul for Socio-Cultural Affairs Mr Clemens T. BEKTIKUSUMA, and Vice Consul of Information and Sociocultural Affairs Ms Zivya S. HUSNAYAIN; and Mr Evegenii KOSIAKOV, Vice Consul, Consulate General of Russia in Hong Kong, together with senior executives from the co-organisers. Their presence underscored the Programme’s growing international recognition and its pivotal role in fostering cross-border collaboration in the energy sector.

Prof. H.C. Man noted, “The synergy between AI and power systems is the cornerstone of the next generation of energy management. At PolyU, we are committed to pioneering the innovative solutions required to build a sustainable, AI-enabled energy future. Through this Programme, we continue to strengthen our role as a global hub for interdisciplinary research, facilitating the high-level exchanges that will transform how the world generates, distributes and consumes green energy.”

Mr Ou Xiaoming stated, “We hope that this technology exchange platform will continue to develop, expand in influence and become an important channel for exchanges and sharing between senior power and energy managers and university researchers of Belt and Road countries and regions. With this platform, SGCC sincerely hopes to deepen communication and collaboration with all parties under the Belt and Road framework, promote the synergy of computing power and electricity, and foster integrated development of power technological and industrial innovation, making ‘digital intelligence’ a defining feature of Belt and Road cooperation.”

Ms Liang Li said, “AI is playing an increasingly important role in new-type power systems, enabling renewable energy integration, intelligent dispatch, equipment monitoring, fault diagnosis, and system optimisation. AI is not only improving existing systems, but also helping shape the future paradigm of power systems. For Xi’an Jiaotong University, this year’s Programme was especially memorable. The Xi’an session was held during the 130th anniversary of our university, which made the event even more meaningful for us.”

Mr Francis Cheng noted, “At HK Electric, reliability remains the cornerstone of everything we do. In 2025, we once again achieved a world‑class electricity supply reliability of over 99.9999%, translating into less than half a minute of unplanned interruption per customer on average. Such performance does not happen by chance. It is the culmination of the vision of our forerunners, decades of long‑term planning, disciplined investment and an enduring commitment to engineering excellence. By leveraging AI, data analytics, Internet-of-Things and intelligent monitoring, we are driving more predictive and proactive maintenance, improving safety, efficiency and service reliability.”

As AI advances at an unprecedented pace, it is fundamentally transforming how power systems are analysed and managed. Key academic highlights of the Programme included lectures by Prof. XU Zhao and Prof. BU Siqi of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at PolyU themed “AI-Empowered Evolution of Modern Power Systems” and “AI-Enabled Secure Operation” respectively. The Programme also showcased cutting-edge data-driven assessment and regulation techniques essential for the economic operation of modern, “new-type” power grids.

In dense, geographically constrained cities such as Hong Kong, highly reliable electricity distribution is essential. Engineers from the Transmission & Distribution Division at HK Electric shared the team’s initiatives on proactive cable diagnosis using artificial intelligence and the application of a 3-D GIS digital twin for distribution substations which helps maintain a healthy network. With an in-house developed AI model, engineers were able to achieve unprecedentedly excellent results, as compared with manual screening based on expert knowledge in the past, in selecting high‑risk cables for offline tests, enabling proactive maintenance and maintaining high supply reliability, despite the continuous ageing of the cables.

Participants also gained immersive experience through field visits to some of the region’s most advanced energy facilities, including:

• HK Electric’s Lamma Power Station, System Control Centre and Intelligent Condition Monitoring Centre;
• PolyU’s Solar Energy Performance Management System;
• SGCC’s Shandong Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Electric Power Aerospace Technology; and
• XJTU’s State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment.

Since its inception in 2018, the Programme has attracted over 900 industry professionals from 44 B&R countries and regions, facilitating more than 10,000 hours of knowledge exchange. As the first-of-its-kind university-industry collaboration in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, it remains a leading global hub for capacity building, nurturing the talent required to lead the world’s transition to a low-carbon future.

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