Winter Olympics point way to a greener world

Ice makers operate at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on Feb 8. [Wang Weiwei/for China Daily]

Difficulties addressed

Technological breakthroughs were also made in improving the performance of hydrogen-powered vehicles for the Winter Olympics.

Long Fenjie, head of the Hebei Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said at a news conference organized by the Beijing 2022 Media Center on Feb 16, "We had to address difficulties in the fast startup of hydrogen-powered vehicles in low temperatures and ensure that the hydrogen buses in Zhangjiakou could successfully fulfill their tasks of providing transportation for the Games."

Recognizing the importance of hydrogen in China's green, low-carbon transformation, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 lists the gas as one of the forward-looking industries.

Low-carbon technologies used for the Beijing Games also included making ice from carbon dioxide, along with fire- and weather-resistant steel.

Carbon dioxide was used for the first time as a refrigerant to make ice for the skating tracks at the Winter Olympics. The technology was applied at four venues, including the National Speed Skating Oval.

Compared with traditional methods, making ice from carbon dioxide can save electricity use by more than 20 percent, according to the Oval.

The 60-meter-high Shougang Big Air in the Shijingshan district of Beijing, the world's first permanent venue for Big Air events, is built from high-quality steel with a strong resistance to corrosion. This steel can withstand extreme weather conditions, which are becoming more frequent due to global warming.

The venue's main structure can withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake. The steel track is strong enough to resist serious corrosion caused by frequent use of snow-melting agents.

Li Ming, deputy general manager of Beijing Shougang Co, said the company used seven types of high-performance steel at the venue to meet the requirements for permanent use, and also to make the venue safe and easy to maintain.

At a news conference on Friday, Wang Jinnan, head of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, said the green, low-carbon practices for the Beijing Winter Olympics set excellent examples for advancing construction of a Beautiful China.

Quoting a recent article from the journal Nature, Wang, also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that despite carbon reduction at the Games being like a drop in the ocean compared with the nation's total emissions, it proves that it is possible to realize carbon neutrality on an even bigger scale.

"This will leave a rich, precious, sustainable Olympic legacy for future generations," he added.