Staffers (in red jackets) from Shandong Liaocheng Power Supply Co of the State Grid check safe power use in Rongda Jinyi Food Technology Co Ltd in Gaotang county, Shandong province, on April 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the prefecture-level city of Liaocheng in Shandong province, the Rongda Jinyi Food Technology Co Ltd (better known as Ronos) of Gaotang county is the fifth enterprise in China to export duck meat to the European Union and its business is booming.

Talking a stroll around the firm's electrified equipment in full operation —including automatic depilation machines for ducks, preserving and salting facilities, and ovens — General Manager Li Guangzhou was jubilant.

"As the second enterprise in Liaocheng to export cooked poultry meat products to EU, our 10 to 15 dry containers of exports each month enable us to build our brand better and faster in the EU," he said.

The company started production in September 2023, passed Customs approval for export in October and gained the export qualification of EU on Feb 8 this year.

"As an export-oriented meat product production and processing enterprise, we have set a record for the shortest span of only six months between our production and export qualification for poultry meat food, injecting full momentum into our sustainable development," Li said.

However, he added, its success cannot come without the full electrical support from the local unit of the State Grid — the world's largest utility which shoulders a dual task of safeguarding China's energy security as well as its economic lifeline.

While making a tour of the plant on April 3, Li Liang, a staff from Shandong Liaocheng Power Supply Co of the State Grid, said: "Currently, all the company's electrified machines and equipment for duck breeding, processing and baking have realized stable control for their key indicators, such as constant temperature, constant humidity and fresh air. All these are conducive to the healthy growth of ducklings and the quality of roast duck products."

Staffers (in red jackets) from Shandong Liaocheng Power Supply Co of the State Grid check safe power use in Rongda Jinyi Food Technology Co Ltd in Gaotang county, Shandong province, on April 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Back in 2019, due to its immense power need in the future, the first phase project of Ronos applied for electricity consumption of 4,000 kilovoltamperes (kVA) to Li Liang's agency.

Upon receiving the application, State Grid Liaocheng Power Supply Co immediately set up a special team to handle the issue, by paying visits to verify its electricity need, design a power supply plan, and determine the route for electric wire erection.

After investigation, the team members found a nearby 10 kV line in Yangxi can supply power for the enterprise. Based on the existing power facilities, they newly erected an electric wire extending for 2.1 kilometers, and adjusted the load of the 10 kV Yangxi line, offering sufficient power for Ronos.

"In the beginning, there were few orders for the firm, leading to few electricity consumption and a low rate for the load of the transformer. So we issued a two-prong policy concerning its electricity price, helping it save more than 100,000 yuan ($14,084) per month on power consumption," said Chu Yanling, director of the marketing department of State Grid Liaocheng Power Supply Co.

Currently, the State Grid Liaocheng Power Supply Co routinely sends staffers to the company to check the operation of its electrical equipment, deal with any problems and ensure its reliable use of electricity.

"Their full power support for us has helped us in our booming business," said Li Guangzhou.

Earlier, on March 19, the company's first batch of 23 metric tons of roast duck to the EU was delivered to Germany, marking Liaocheng's first duck meat export to Europe.

Transported from Qingdao Port in Shandong, it can reach Germany in some 50 days, Li said, adding that he is now planning smoked duck and braised duck products for markets such as Japan and South Korea.

Source: By Zhuang Qiange and Pang Bo | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-04-14 15:49 [https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/14/WS661b8a78a31082fc043c1d7c_2.html]