A major advancement in smarter urban infrastructure is taking shape in Jinan with the launch of China's first fully autonomous heating relay pump station. Situated at the B4 pump station of the "Liaocheng Heat to Jinan" project, this facility operates in "dark mode", without on-site personnel.

Covering 36,000 square meters, the station plays a critical role in delivering heat to northern Jinan, serving more than 70 million sq m heated space. Instead of traditional manual patrols, it utilizes a coordinated inspection system that combines ground and aerial robots.

The station also integrates intelligent energy management with heating transmission. By processing real-time data from both heat sources and end users, its autonomous control system conducts load forecasting and energy optimizations, enabling the network to automatically adjust to changes on demand.

According to Dong Rubin, head of the big data department at Jinan Heating Group, the station's "land-air" inspection network uses thermal imaging and high-definition sensors to monitor equipment conditions and detect potential faults early ons.

Additionally, an automated monitoring system continuously tracks water quality indicators to ensure the safe operation of the long-distance heating pipeline.

Jinan Heating Group plans to gradually extend this unmanned "dark mode" model across its long-distance heating network, further improving efficiency, reliability, and intelligent management of the city's heating system.

An inspection robot patrols at China's first "dark mode" heating relay pump station in Jinan. [Photo/WeChat account: jinanfabu]