Empowering Rural Specialty Industries to Safeguard the Development of the 'Hat Capital'

On April 8, State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power dispatched a technical team to Dingshang Hat Manufacturing Co. in Changhe Town, Cixi City, launching a spring electricity safety campaign. In workshops filled with high-speed automated hat-making equipment, technicians utilized infrared imaging devices to conduct precision diagnostics on power distribution systems. Special emphasis was placed on evaluating the load capacity of newly installed dedicated circuits for industrial shaping machines, ensuring reliable power supply during peak production seasons.
Renowned as the "Hometown of China's Hat Industry," Changhe Town hosts over 40 large-scale hat manufacturers with an annual output exceeding CNY 500 million (USD 69 million). As local enterprises accelerate intelligent upgrades by adopting automated production lines, demands for higher power quality and grid stability have surged. "Spring marks the critical period for fulfilling international hat orders. By dynamically monitoring real-time electricity load curves, we precisely forecast energy demands," stated a company spokesperson. State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power has established customized enterprise profiles under its "One Factory, One Strategy" initiative, implementing time-segmented monitoring to analyze power fluctuations caused by high-wattage shaping machines—a core process in modern hat manufacturing.
To bolster the transition toward high-end manufacturing, the company introduced its "Comprehensive Industry Safeguarding Program," piloting a digitalized electricity service model in Changhe Town. This initiative includes deploying remote energy-efficiency diagnostic platforms and developing an enterprise power health evaluation system, shifting from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. A 24/7 emergency response mechanism has also been activated to provide uninterrupted smart-grid solutions for local hat exporters expanding into global.

Staff at Ningbo Dingshang Hat Industry Co., Ltd. in Changhe Town, Cixi City are crafting straw hats. (Photo by Yao Kebin) ‌

Staff from Cixi Power Supply Company visited the straw hat factory in Changhe Town to conduct an electrical equipment inspection. (Photo by Yao Kebin)