From November 23-25, 2024, the Academic Annual Meeting of the Pump and Pump Station Professional Committee of the China Society of Water Resources was held in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. Representatives from relevant management departments, universities, research institutes, manufacturing and service companies, as well as grassroots water management units, gathered at Jiangsu University to engage in in-depth academic exchanges and discussions around the theme “Smart Pump Stations Empowering New Productivity in Water Conservancy.”

The conference was co-hosted by the Pump and Pump Station Professional Committee of the China Society of Water Resources and the Zhenjiang Fluid Engineering Equipment Technology Research Institute of Jiangsu University.

The event was supported by the China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center, Jiangsu University, Wuhan University, China Agricultural University, Yangzhou University, the National Research Center of Pumps, the editorial departments of China Rural Water Resources and Hydropower and Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Engineering, among others.

Supporting companies for the annual meeting included Jiangsu Aerospace Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd., Leo Group Hunan Pump Industry Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Hangfa Power Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Kaiquan Pump (Group) Co., Ltd., Asia-Pacific Pump Valve Co., Ltd., and Lanshen Group Co., Ltd.

At the opening ceremony, Li Hongbo, Party Secretary of Jiangsu University, introduced the university and the development of the Fluid Center. He expressed hope that experts and scholars attending the conference would fully leverage the academic exchange platform of the China Society of Water Resources and the annual meeting to explore new pathways and strategies for the development of smart pump stations. He emphasized strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, promoting deeper integration of research, education, and industry, accelerating the application of technological achievements, and contributing to the high-quality development of the pump and pump station industry.

Wang Dongsheng, Deputy Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Water Resources, spoke about the significance of water in the province, highlighting that Jiangsu is home to approximately 100,000 pump stations, including 396 medium and large pump stations, which play crucial roles in flood control, water diversion, irrigation, navigation, water conservation, and environmental and ecological improvements. He expressed hope that the conference would solidify the high-quality development of pump station construction and operation, maximizing its comprehensive benefits and making new contributions to the goal of building a strong, prosperous, beautiful, and high-tech Jiangsu.

Lu Shengli, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Society of Water Resources, emphasized that implementing river and lake strategies and building a national water network are crucial for the high-quality development of China’s water resources and ensuring water security. He called for the Pump and Pump Station Professional Committee to enhance its academic leadership and technological empowerment, strengthening its service capabilities to the nation, society, and industry, and providing stronger scientific and talent support for the high-quality development of rural water conservancy.

Xu Dezhi, Deputy Director of the Rural Water Resources and Hydropower Department of the Ministry of Water Resources, delivered the keynote speech, offering a policy interpretation on the construction and development of large and medium-sized irrigation and drainage pump stations. He emphasized the modernization and renovation of pump station projects, particularly in irrigation areas and flood control zones. He outlined the need for a problem-oriented approach, coordination of relevant project construction and funding, the promotion of digital twin pump stations, and the establishment of standardized management systems for irrigation and drainage pump stations. He also called for a national skills competition for pump station operations to promote modernization and high-quality development.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Hu Meng, Deputy Director of the China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center and Chair of the Pump and Pump Station Professional Committee of the China Society of Water Resources.

In the special report session of the conference, Yuan Shouqi, Director of the National Research Center of Pumps, Wang Fujun from China Agricultural University, Feng Xusong from the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Corporation, Zhou Ye from the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Cheng Li from Yangzhou University, Zhang Maolin from the Gansu Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Water Resource Utilization Center, Li Qiang from the Fankou Pumping Station Management Office in Hubei Province, and Zhang Rentian from the Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Water Resources Survey and Design Research Co., Ltd. were invited to present on topics such as "Key Technologies and Engineering Applications of Large-Scale Water Diversion Pumping Devices," "Safety Issues in Pump Station Operation in Large-Scale Water Diversion Projects," "Current Status and Future Prospects of Pump Station Operations in the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project," "Key Technologies for Digital Twin Pump Stations," "Energy-efficient and High-Performance Operation of Low Lift Medium and Large Pump Stations in Plain Water Networks," and "Advancing Standardization in Pump Stations in the Jingdian Irrigation District."

The conference featured 36 academic reports across three parallel sessions, covering topics such as smart pump station operation and management, pump and pump station design and optimization, and pump internal flow characteristics. Participants exchanged ideas on the latest research and technological frontiers in the pump and pump station fields.

Following the conference, delegates visited the Laboratory of National Research Center of Pumps at Jiangsu University and conducted field exchanges at Guazhou Pump Station and Jiangsu Aerospace Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd.