As the global energy transition enters uncharted waters, AI Plus has been incorporated into China's national energy strategy for the first time, and Shenzhen is set to host APEC meetings in 2026—a premier industry event spanning the entire global digital energy value chain.

Smart Minds Collide · A New Chapter Unfolds

The International Digital Energy Expo (IDEE) 2026 will run from September 15 to 17, 2026, at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (Futian). For the first time, the Expo will be historically integrated with the Energy Green Development Conference under a "Conference + Expo" model, seizing the dual opportunities presented by APEC and the integration of AI Plus with the energy sector. Focusing on four pillars - equipment, solutions, business models, and services - the Expo will showcase cutting-edge applications where AI and energy empower each other. A dedicated APEC Energy Innovation Practices Zone will also be featured under the theme of "Global Vision, Chinese Benchmarks, Shenzhen Practices," spotlighting benchmark cases in smart energy, new-generation power systems, virtual power plants, supercharging ecosystems, green ports, and other fields. Just recently, Shenzhen's urban-scale smart grid innovation project won the Silver Award at the 7^th APEC Energy Smart Communities Initiative (ESCI) Best Practices Awards. This integrated "digital grid + virtual power plant" solution will provide a replicable and scalable China solution for Asia-Pacific energy cooperation.

The four key areas of this event are unveiled below:

01 Equipment: Reinforcing the Hardware Foundation of a New-Generation Energy System

The New Energy Power Equipment Zone is precisely aligned with six key market needs: generation, transmission, distribution, consumption, computing, and independent energy systems. Next-generation photovoltaics, offshore wind power, Gen IV advanced nuclear power, and small modular reactors (SMRs) will be showcased alongside one another. Charging technologies—including flash charging for passenger vehicles, supercharging for heavy-duty trucks, and vehicle-to-grid interaction—are evolving at an accelerating pace. New-generation energy storage, computing-power energy systems, superconducting power transmission, smart meters, and other advanced equipment will together form a comprehensive hardware landscape. Particularly noteworthy is the arrival of embodied AI equipment, signaling the evolution of energy infrastructure from a mere “vehicle for energy conversion” into an “intelligent sensing and decision-making terminal.” Equipment is learning to think.

The zone will bring together leading companies including China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), NARI Group, Hithium, and Shenzhen Hello Tech Energy, showcasing industry-leading hardware capabilities across the entire chain from power generation and energy storage to charging infrastructure.

02 Solutions: Closing the "Chip–Device–System–Application" Industrial Loop

The AI-Empowered Solutions Zone will focus on computing-electricity coordination. In 2026, computing-electricity coordination was included in the Government Work Report for the first time, which called for new infrastructure projects involving hyperscale intelligent computing clusters and the coordinated development of computing capacity and electricity supply. China’s first intelligent scheduling test for computing-electricity coordination spanning three locations has successfully validated two key indicators: a 100% success rate for cross-region workload migration and 98% accuracy in power forecasting. The zone will showcase large-scale innovative applications of computing-electricity coordination, together with frontier technologies such as AI-enabled materials discovery, high-efficiency O&M for new energy assets, intelligent grid inspection, and HarmonyOS for Power, presenting an end-to-end solution portfolio from chips to devices, and from systems to applications.

The zone will bring together companies including Huawei, BYD, Sunwoda, and Towngas, presenting their latest advances in computing-electricity coordination and AI-driven digital intelligence in the energy sector.

03 Business Models: Providing Practical Benchmarks for the "Dual-Carbon" Goals

The Electricity-Carbon Integrated Business Models Zone will focus on innovations arising from the deep integration of the electricity and carbon markets. It will feature business models and services such as carbon asset management, carbon footprint tracking, and green trading services, demonstrating how digital technologies can facilitate the coordinated development of carbon markets and the energy transition. Cutting-edge practices will include trading in green electricity and green electricity certificates, zero-carbon industrial parks, carbon footprint certification, intelligent monitoring systems for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), AI optimized direct air capture (DAC), and smart carbon asset management platforms. As carbon acquires a price and electricity becomes increasingly market-driven, the commercial closed loop for electricity-carbon integration is rapidly taking shape. This will turn the “dual-carbon” goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality from a policy vision into market practices that are tangible, measurable, replicable, and scalable.

04 Services: Demonstrating Full-Spectrum Capabilities Across the Digital Energy Ecosystem

Featuring themed showcases such as electric heavy-duty trucks under Shenzhen’s “City of Superchargers” initiative, the High-Efficiency Energy Services Zone will bring together a broad range of service providers, and present high-efficiency energy services and integrated energy solutions for transportation, logistics, and other scenarios, reflecting the evolution of energy services from single-point supply toward scenario-based operations. The zone will cater to diverse energy-use scenarios across cities, rural areas, mines, plateaus, new urban areas, and large-scale energy bases, covering integrated energy operation services across oil and gas, electricity, hydrogen, and other sectors. It will work in concert with professional services including consulting, assessment, legal, accounting, auditing, credit rating, mediation, arbitration, and IP services.

From energy production to end-use, and from technology deployment to compliance assurance, full-spectrum service capabilities come together here. How can energy services become truly user-friendly and effective? How can the service chain empower the industrial chain? The High-Efficiency Energy Services Zone will provide the answers.

In addition, the Expo will dedicated a zone to APEC Energy Innovation Practices, Highlighted by a display of virtual power plants. It will showcase Shenzhen’s urban-scale innovations in virtual power plants, smart energy management, and related fields, providing APEC economies with practical examples for reference and discussion.

Another highlight will be the “Digital Energy Shenzhen Tour,” curating 33 digital energy landmarks across the city along two themed routes, offering participants an immersive experience of Shenzhen’s leading practices in smart energy, new-generation power systems, and other fields. Achievements Release and Project Matchmaking sessions will also take place concurrently, a premium platform for technology debuts, business matchmaking, and innovative project launches.

September 15-17

See you in Shenzhen!