The Lighthouse Keeper on a Deserted Island

A typhoon and torrential rain caused a transformer to leak electricity, accidentally claiming the life of Yu Lei's father. The tragedy left a deep mark on him, as his hometown, Luzhai Village, was plagued by frequent power outages.

With the conviction that he would "bring light to every home," Yu Lei, a graduate in electrical engineering, devoted himself to building the Beihai Power Plant.

Built on reclaimed land, this "isolated island" power plant had harsh conditions. The thermal power industry was also seen as a "sunset industry," and doubts abounded.

Yu Lei endured heartbreak, workplace exclusion, the fickleness of human relationships, and even the loss of loved ones, yet he stayed the course and never forgot his original purpose.

Faced with environmental pressures and technical challenges, he and his colleagues drove the plant's transition to greener, smarter operations: adopting ultra-supercritical technology, using seawater flue-gas desulfurization, developing solar power and energy storage, and building a smart platform.

From traditional coal-fired power to a zero-emissions energy hub integrating "coal power, railways, ports, wind, solar, storage, and transport," they forged a new path, becoming pioneers who broke through the limits of thermal power, and keepers of the light on an isolated island.

This story is dedicated to Shenhua Guohua Power, once one of the four giants of China's power industry.