China Energy Accelerates the Development of the Mobile Heating Industry, Unlocking the Potential of Existing Thermal Power Infrastructure

To advance the green and low-carbon transition of the energy sector, China Energy has been proactively planning and implementing a series of innovative initiatives. Five of its power plants—located in Anqing, Yuyao, Puyang, Jiyuan, and Zhumadian—have pioneered an innovative mobile heating model that marks a new step in clean energy utilization.

This new model breaks away from the traditional reliance on fixed heating pipelines, effectively addressing the challenges of decentralized, temporary, and emergency heating demands. It stands as a strategic initiative by China Energy to enhance energy cascading utilization and promote flexible thermal energy supply.

Often referred to as a “heat delivery on wheels” system, mobile heating employs specially designed thermal storage and heat exchange tank trucks to recover, store, and transport surplus or waste heat from power plants. The system can flexibly deliver industrial steam at temperatures up to 300°C and pressures of 3.0–5.0 MPa, enabling an on-demand, efficient, and low-carbon heating solution. At the end of 2023, the Anqing Power Plant in Anhui Province successfully commissioned its external mobile heating project—the first of its kind in the Yangtze River Delta region—capable of supplying 34,500 GJ of heat annually to nearby enterprises. Meanwhile, China Energy’s Zhejiang branch, in collaboration with Zhejiang University, developed the nation’s first granular thermal energy storage mobile heating unit, which was officially put into operation at the Yuyao Power Plant by the end of 2024. This innovation has established a new profit-generating model integrating thermal power generation with mobile heating vehicles, capable of supplying 2,500 GJ of heat annually. In Henan Province, several power plants have worked to bridge the “last mile” in heating supply. The Puyang Power Plant built the province’s first mobile heating station, which began operation at the end of 2023. It has been operating safely for nearly two years, achieving a daily maximum steam output of 50 tons and a total heat supply of 42,100 GJ, effectively replacing six small gas-fired boilers. The Jiyuan and Zhumadian Power Plants also launched their mobile heating operations in mid-2025, supplying 4,000 GJ and 2,000 GJ of heat respectively, thereby replacing multiple small gas boilers and improving local energy efficiency.

China Energy is accelerating the deployment of the mobile heating industry, tapping the potential of existing thermal power infrastructure, and integrating mobile heating with advanced energy storage technologies. The company is also developing intelligent energy management and dispatch systems to further reduce operational costs and enhance supply reliability. This initiative provides an innovative pathway for regional pollution and carbon emission reduction, contributing to the creation of a clean, efficient, and modern energy system—and demonstrating China Energy’s leadership in advancing the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector.