Characteristics and Prospects of the New Power System in the Western Inner Mongolia Region

Under the background of global climate change, this study analyzes the characteristics of the Western Inner Mongolia power system in terms of being clean and low-carbon, safe and controllable, flexible and efficient, intelligent and friendly, and open and interactive, in line with the national dual carbon goals. In response to the flexibility demands brought about by the high proportion of renewable energy integration, this research examines the challenges faced by current flexible resources across four aspects: generation, grid, load, and storage. Based on the development objectives of the Western Inner Mongolia power system in areas such as renewable energy development, promotion of new energy storage, grid structure construction, layout of transmission corridors, and institutional reform, a new modeling approach for power system planning is proposed using power balance theory and the MESSAGEix modeling framework. The results indicate that the Western Inner Mongolia power system will significantly enhance the installed capacity of wind and solar energy, while gradually decreasing the capacity of coal-fired power. Additionally, the scale of electrochemical storage and pumped hydro storage will see significant growth. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the low-carbon transformation of the power system in the Western Inner Mongolia region and even nationwide, which is of great significance for achieving the dual carbon goals.