[Figures] Yu Kun: Devote to What’s Going on, Combined Heat and Power Guarantees Heat Supply

Yu Kun is a young manager of energy project. His growth story may be related to others’ few words, a small decision, or his persistence sometime. He is always at ease whatever difficulty is ahead. He intensively studies technology, learns management, focuses on what’s going on and believes that human effort is the decisive factor.

Yun Kun:

Vice General Manager of Sinogy Jiangshan Thermal Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Jiangshan Thermal Power”) subordinate to China Sinogy Electric Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “CSEG”) which is affiliated to jidaitong.

Growth of A Technique Master

“Life is about Opportunity and Choices.”

Yu Kun is a typical science and engineering student who is sensitive to figures and fond of machinery. Yu Kun loves dealing with machines.

“When I was young, my father encouraged me to be a technician.” Yu Kun told us that he was imbued with his father’s words.

In the year when he took the college entrance examination, due to the “SARS” and several large-scale blackouts in foreign countries, the country paid much attention to the development of power industry. And the technologies in power industry kept progressing. At that time, Yu Kun was determined to dedicate himself to the power industry.

“Fortunately”, when he graduated, the global economic crisis broke out and all industries suffered major setbacks. The power industry experienced economic downturn, the construction of most machine sets was suspended and the demand for talents shrank suddenly. Changing career was the road chosen by most of his classmates. But Yu was one of the few who insisted on staying in power industry. “I spent four years learning this major. It would be a great pity if I abandoned. Luckily, I went through that time.” When asked about why he insisted at that time, he always touches on the matter lightly.

Two years after graduation, Yu Kun changed from a power plant operation staff to a boiler engineer. A new world opened before him. While operating a series of automatic machine sets, he often faced various problems about mechanical and electrical control, which he hadn’t learned systematically in the past. He realized that “extra lessons” should be taken.

“Take the electronic signals sent by thermal power as an example. I had learned the meaning of signals in the past. But there were deviations of signals due to distortion in practice. Knowledge of electrical engineering helped me find these problems in time and learn to deal with them.” Yu Kun gave an easy example.

Love whatever job he takes up and do his best whatever he is engaged in. Yu Kun keeps the mind of constant learning and spares no efforts to learn. He took a refresher course of electrical engineering and automation, which was his second major. After taking part in project management, he gradually developed the habit of learning while doing and kept solving problems in practice with what he learned, which made him a genuine “master of certificates” in the field of engineering. He still keeps advancing on the way of expanding knowledge.

The Trails for the New-fledged Management Staff

“Worries come from inside. Focus on what is going on and success will come naturally.”

Jiangshan Thermal Power project offers services to 35 enterprises in Jiangdong Industrial Park, Jiangshan Economic Development Zone, Zhejiang Province.

Since joining Jiangshan Thermal Power and becoming Vice General Manager in charge of production, technology and safety of the power plant, Yu Kun refreshes his understanding of this new role each day. Jiangshan Thermal Power is a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) project. No matter it was project management or management itself, they are all new to Yu Kun.

“Learning project investment and management and participating in the full life measurement of projects deepened my understanding on management. If technicians are specialists in a certain field, management staffs will be “versatile masters” in many fields. Cost management, financial management, capital management, human resources management... You should not only learn about them, but also make good use of them.” Yu Kun consciously developed his strategic thinking from the overall situation. As an “intern” of management, he grasped each chance for trail.

“In the construction period, all aspects should be taken into consideration so as to make reasonable arrangement. You should investigate the special geology of underground karst caves, communicate and adjust the design scheme, and integrate multiple factors, including safety, design, production and economic factors...” Well-drawn drawings, notebooks full of words, materials with folded edges and corners... The scenes were still vivid in Yu Kun’s mind.

From technique position to management position, though challenges come one after another, there were not too many ups and downs in Yu Kun’s mind. He coped with shifting events by sticking to his fundamental principle. “Worries come from inside. Focus on what is going on and success will come naturally.”

After the construction period, the power plant entered a period of stable development. Yu Kun began to think about problems in operation.

Inter-shift competition is a monthly competition for different production teams on the basis of designated content and data indicator so as to improve working efficiency. In the first quarter of 2018, Yu Kun initiated the inter-shift competition in Jiangshan Thermal Power, the content and standard of which was determined by the specialist team led by Yu Kun. It’s expected that everything would go smoothly... however, the competition was a failure due to “unqualified data” of staffs. So was it in the second month.

Was it necessary to relax restrictions? Looking at the data results and recalling the dialogues with employees, Yu Kun hesitated.

“We might as well give them more time. I believe in their potentials as well as your professionalism.” Mao Jiangshui, General Manager of Jiangshan Thermal Power reassured Yu Kun, which made him rest assured.

“Managers should learn to stimulate employees’ creativity, help them change pressures into driving forces. This is the new lesson I learn in ‘management’”. Yu Kun called on specialists and shift supervisors to analyze data and find out reasons. They also discuss about methods for improving and encourage employees to optimize operation. In the end, in the third month, all the employees reached the standard. For employees, the indicators were no longer data unable to reach, but a force driving them to make common progress.

Staff at the First Line of Projects

“In order to grasp profound skills, you should stand on solid ground.”

In order to promote cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the power plant, Yu Kun took a combination of measures. Inter-shift competition was only one of them. The second measure was technological transformation in the power plant. In 2019, Jiangshan Thermal Power finished altogether 17 technological transformations, saving RMB 3,360,000 and creating benefits of RMB 1,890,000 in all.

For staffs at the first line of project, in order to grasp profound skills, you should stand on solid ground.

“Innovation needn’t to be overturning changes. Instead, it should make things better. Technological transformation will stimulate the creativity of staffs at the first line of the project and improve the operation efficiency of power plant.” Yu Kun rooted innovation in the first line.

“Though engaged in management, I shouldn’t give up studying techniques.” Speaking of technological transformation, Yu Kun, who was a technician before, spoke unceasingly about his opinions on the utilization of after-heat in the power plant. “We have considered the possibility of low thermal load at the beginning of the project commissioning. After balancing power within the plant, we innovated to drive feed pump with water pump and gasoline-electric hybrid. After putting the equipment into operation, we balanced the pressure of each point according to actual situation. And we added inverter control system at power-driven part and balanced energy input. We designed water pump and gasoline-electric (frequency conversion) hybrid equipment to make use of gasoline and electric power to drive feed pump and balance the pressure at the outlet which makes the best use of energy.”

At present, it has become an established technology and has been put into use. 1,600,000 kWh has been saved each year.

Yu Kun has followed up Jiangshan Thermal Power project for many years and accumulated much practical experience. With the platform offered by CSEG, thermal power enterprises made regular exchanges. In this way, Yu Kun had more opportunities to share his experience in technological transformation with other power plants. For example, a fraternal unit optimized its coal shoot design after learning the experience from Jiangshan Thermal Power, which not only solved the long existing problem of coal jamming, but also eliminated potential safety hazard. What’s more, the restrictions on coal rank was relaxed, which reduced costs and improved productivity effect.

“General Manager Yu always told us that Production Technical Department is especially responsible for “techniques”. They must take the lead at critical moment, guarantee production and prioritize customers’ demands.” said manager Wang from Production Technical Department. “Once, State Grid laid wires in the industrial park. As we operated in parallel with grid, the power plant had to stop heat supply until the completion. General Manager Yu decided not to suspend heat supply. We could only use isolated power grid. The problem of turbine governing valve sway must be solved or it would lead to unsteady load and affect heat supply.”

In such emergency, Yu Kun believed in his team. He gathered technicians of steam turbines, boiler, electricity, chemical feed water and other technical personnel from Production Technical Department. They worked on the spot, referring to drawings and making brainstorming. The team analyzed and screened from professional aspects. After three times trial operation and adjustment for about ten hours, heat supply was guaranteed before the completion of wire construction.

All stories are similar. They have causes, processes and results. So are Yu Kun’s stories. He is an epitome of numerous staffs working at the first line of power industry, earnest, down-to-earth and practical. “His” and “their” stories gather together and contribute to our common cause.