Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

China

China

China

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

2024-07-30 22:29 Last Updated At:23:07

A sprawling solar power plant covering thousands of acres in northern China's Kubuqi Desert is spearheading the country's drive towards a greener future, revitalizing the once barren landscape and helping combat climate change.

The power station located in Dalad Banner, an administrative region in Inner Mongolia, boasts 196,000 solar panels that were installed in the pattern of a galloping horse when viewed from above. It forms only part of a larger solar farm that's able to provide enough clean electricity for over 300,000 people annually. Together with four other similar solar farms stretching across the western part of Inner Mongolia, they form what's called a solar panel Great Wall.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Li Kai, director of the local Energy Bureau Office, said the scale of the solar farm is still expanding.

"Currently, the new energy projects in Dalad Banner have reached over 3 gigawatts. By around 2030, the total power generation capacity of all new energy projects in our county will reach 40 billion kilowatt-hours. At that time, one out of every three lights in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will be powered by electricity generated here," he said.

Currently under construction, this 21st century "Great Wall of Clean Electricity" is planned to be 400 kilometers long and an average of 5 kilometers wide, and is expected to contribute to ecological management of 9 million mu of desert and PV management of 3 million mu, while supporting 10 gigawatts of new energy capacity.

A solar farm like this one saves 680,000 metric tons of standard coal annually and reduces CO2 emissions by 1.65 million tons each year.

Tian Ye, a duty officer, told CGTN that the integrated control room where he works can monitor five solar power plants in this region.

"Here, we can remotely monitor and maintain the operations. When a fault occurs, the system provides a warning, allowing us to coordinate with on-site maintenance personnel who carry out the necessary repairs. For more common faults, the repair time is typically around half an hour," he said.

In addition to providing clean energy, the vast array of solar panels serve as a first line of defense against desert sand blowing into the Yellow River, better protecting water quality and the communities that rely on it.

The solar panels also play an important role in combating desertification by allowing vegetation to grow underneath them, according to Ao Xiaohu, director of engineering management for the operating company. The shade provided by the solar panels creates this microclimate underneath, which better retains soil moisture from evaporation by sunlight.

"During our construction process, we strive to preserve the original landscape as much as possible. Depending on the soil conditions, we introduce more resilient grasses and medicinal plants for cultivation. Under the solar panels, we integrate grazing and agriculture to boost economic benefits," he said.

Ao said that with the transition from coal-fired power companies, traditional and new energy sources work hand in hand; during the day, solar panels generate electricity, while at night, the traditional thermal power plant takes over, ensuring a smooth flow of electricity throughout the day.

"Inner Mongolia Energy Group used to be a traditional coal-fired power company, with over 90 percent of its total installed capacity coming from coal-fired power and only about 5 to 7 percent from renewable energy. Through two years of energy transition, the installed capacity of new energy projects under construction and already in operation now accounts for more than 70 percent of our total capacity. Our future goal is to further advance the development of a large modern energy enterprise, primarily based on renewable energy," he said.

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

Inner Mongolia's "Solar Panel Great Wall" powers China's green future

Next Article

US Fed's 25 basis point cut aligns with market expectations: expert

2024-11-09 07:21 Last Updated At:08:17

The U.S. Federal Reserve's 25 basis point cut on Thursday aligns with market expectations, said Li Fuyi, associate researcher at Institute for Foreign Economic Studies under the Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

The Fed on Thursday slashed interest rates by 25 basis points amid cooling inflation and a weakening labor market, marking the second rate cut in this easing cycle.

Since earlier in the year, labor market conditions have generally eased, and the unemployment rate has moved up but remains low. Inflation has made progress toward the Committee's 2 percent objective but remains somewhat elevated, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank's policy-setting body, said in a statement.

"From a policy perspective, the 50 basis point cut in September was a more precautionary move, aimed at preventing the policy from lagging too far behind developments. Moving forward, the rate cuts should slow and follow a more gradual pace, allowing enough room for policy adjustments. The Fed would lower rates by another 50 basis points by the end of the year, so the November 25 basis point cut aligns with market expectations. In terms of economic data, Fed policy mainly responds to changes in employment and inflation," Li explained the interest rate cut.

"Currently, U.S. inflation is gradually approaching the Fed's 2 percent objective. For instance, the initial core PCE figure for the third quarter was 2.2 percent. At the same time, the labor market is roughly in line with the Fed's full employment target range. In this situation, there is no urgent need for a major rate cut. A moderate rate cut also avoids overly pessimistic market interpretations of the current economic situation. This approach is an optimal solution for the Fed's delicate balance between curbing inflation and avoiding economic cooling," she said.

US Fed's 25 basis point cut aligns with market expectations: expert

US Fed's 25 basis point cut aligns with market expectations: expert

Recommended Articles