Energy experts from the University of Birmingham visited the Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute (GEIRI) of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) in Beijing.  

Currently ranked second in the Global Fortune 500, SGCC is the pioneer of the global energy interconnection development. 

The University of Birmingham, through its Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage (BCES), possesses world-leading expertise in thermal energy storage and has a strong ongoing collaboration with GEIRI.  

In August this year, the University and GEIRI’s European branch, the Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute Europe (GEIRIEU), formed a Joint UoB-GEIRIEU Lab on Energy Storage Research

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The joint lab has since shown to be a win-win partnership, with a series of collaborative research projects being developed.  It was praised by Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, as an important example of ‘vibrant business co-operation’ between the UK and China. 

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Schofield, who led the University of Birmingham delegation and is pictured above (centre right), said: “The Joint Lab which the University of Birmingham formed with GEIRIEU has so far been delivering excellent results beyond our expectations. 

It is a great pleasure for me and my colleagues to visit its Beijing headquarter today, and to see the extremely impressive facilities and works being conducted here at GEIRI. Looking forward, we strongly believe that our Joint Lab will continue delivering great outcomes and contributing to the global development of more efficient, clean and low-carbon energy systems.” 

Mr Teng Tian-Le, President of GERI, commented: “GEIRI is delighted to welcome our University of Birmingham friends here in Beijing. The Joint Lab has proved to be a great success and we look forward to further growing our collaboration through this platform.  

“Going forward, it is important that while we keep working towards our ultimate gaols of sustainable, clean and more efficient energy and power supplies, we also seek to address problems with significant and immediate impact. GEIRI is committed to supporting our endeavour in all these through the Joint Lab.” 

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or  +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

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