April 28, 2025
Guest post by Green Technology Bank, a WIPO GREEN partner
Typically, the parking lots owned by the sanitation department in Hongkou are equipped only with power supply for office use, and parking spaces are in high demand, making the installation of charging stations impractical in the majority of locations. Moreover, a considerable number of sanitation vehicles are parked in public parking lots or temporary sites, most of which lack the necessary facilities for charging infrastructure installation or power capacity expansion. In the few instances where expansion requirements can be fulfilled, the construction of charging facilities proves to be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, with the capacity to serve only a limited number of new energy sanitation vehicles.
In response to these pressing challenges, Green Technology Bank has prioritized the needs of Shanghai's sanitation system through the WIPO GREEN Acceleration Project in Shanghai. By mobilizing sanitation service providers and experts to conduct in-depth research and evaluation, Green Technology Bank leveraged its Green Technology Partnership Program and WIPO GREEN’s Acceleration Project methodology to rigorously assess and select an autonomous-driving energy charging and storage technology.
Tailored to the application scenarios of Hongkou’s fully electric sanitation fleet, this initiative has actively advanced the deployment of the autonomous-driving technology, establishing it as a model case of demand-driven technological integration within the Urban Acceleration Project. The innovative energy charging and storage technology enhances energy efficiency for sanitation operations without necessitating costly power capacity expansion. It has been deployed for routine commercial operations at various sanitation sites within Hongkou District.
The system’s “Flash Power” feature provides 60 kilowatts (kW) of mobile fast charging and can be integrated with the Flash Hub dual-mode charging stations, forming a comprehensive supplementary solution applicable to scenarios similar to the sanitation fleet for new energy vehicle power supplementation. Unconstrained by power source location, this solution can service up to 24 parking spaces, reducing wiring construction costs by 90% and enabling rapid installation within just two hours.
Additionally, it eliminates the need for complex cable laying and alleviates transformer load concerns while offering a quick, cost-effective method for retrofitting existing parking spaces, vastly expanding the reach of charging services. This technology offers a template for addressing common issues in the city's sanitation system, propelling Hongkou District to the forefront of green, low-carbon service industry development in Shanghai.
Green Technology Bank, a joint initiative launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, serves as a comprehensive service platform that spearheads the development and transfer of green technologies and fosters strategic emerging industries in the green low-carbon sector. Green Technology Bank is a WIPO GREEN partner and has been facilitating the implementation of the WIPO GREEN Acceleration Project in Shanghai, China, since early 2025.