Bentley YII Winner: China Sets New Standard for Smart Grid Innovation

• 7 January 2026
• Construction Focus
• 926 Views

China Energy Engineering Group Guangxi Electric Power Design Institute has successfully commissioned a landmark 500-kilovolt power transmission project in Nanning, completing the city’s critical ring network. The project was also one of the winners of Bentley Year in Infrastructure (YII) 2025.

By adopting a full-lifecycle BIM (Building Information Modeling) and GIS (Geographic Information System) strategy, the project has established a new global benchmark for “digital intelligence” in the power sector.

The CNY 660 million project was designed to power the Wuxiang New District and the ASEAN Information Port. Facing the challenge of optimizing a complex regional grid, the engineering team utilized a comprehensive Bentley Systems software suite to move beyond traditional 2D limitations:

• Precision Siting & Geology: The team used drone-based terrain modeling and MicroStation to create 3D geological models. This allowed engineers to “see” subsurface conditions, ensuring stable foundations and precise earthwork calculations.
• Integrated Design: OpenBuildings Designer, OpenRoads, and OpenUtilities were used to create a unified parametric model of the substation and transmission lines.
• Collision Detection: By using Bentley’s collaborative environment, the team identified and resolved 85 technical clashes before construction began, reducing rework-related changes by a staggering 91.8%.
• Coordinated Delivery: ProjectWise served as the “single source of truth,” allowing multiple disciplines to work in parallel. This shortened the design phase by 10% and the verification process by 15%.

Beyond construction, the project was delivered in a digital format ready for “Digital Twin” applications. Using SYNCHRO for 4D construction planning and LumenRT for virtual reality visualization, stakeholders could monitor progress and simulate operations in real-time. This ensures the substation is not only a physical asset but a data-driven tool capable of optimizing clean energy transmission and renewable consumption.

“Bentley’s BIM technologies allow design intention to be clearly expressed and the design plan to be fully optimized,” stated Huang Zhirong, Project Manager. “Problems are discovered and dealt with in advance, significantly improving project quality.”

This award-winning project serves as a vital pillar for Nanning’s growth as an international city and provides a scalable model for the future of world-class smart grids.

• Digital Twin
• Bentley Systems
• OpenUtilities