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
The high-quality development of east China's Shandong Province featuring innovation and green development has been providing opportunities to foreigners ranging from business promoters to even internet influencers.
As leader in the country's foreign trade, the coastal province of Shandong has been making consistent efforts to push forward its high-level opening-up.
In the first half of this year, Shandong imported and exported 1.62 trillion yuan (230 billion U.S. dollars) worth of goods, marking a 4.3-percent year-over-year increase, according to the customs data released in mid-July.
The province's export to regions like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Brazil continued growing during the period.
Ryan Norman, an American living in Rizhao City, has been witnessing all the changes for years as Shandong's close economic ties with the world have boosted its development.
By sharing short videos of him wondering in local markets and making dishes in a big wok, Ryan has attracted over one million followers on social media.
"I am Ryan Norman, an American from California. Now I am married with a Rizhao woman. I have been in China for 19 years. I did some business before, but in recent years I've been making short videos. If the weather is good, staying on beach makes me happier. There is a 28-kilometer sunshine seaside track and every summer, we run back and forth along the track," he said.
The high-quality development of Shandong comes together with green development. In 2023, the province generated over 158 billion kilowatt-hours of green power from new energy and renewables, increasing by 21.9 percent year on year and representing 24.4 percent of the total power generated, up 3.6 percent from 2022.
Last year, the province issued a three-year action plan on promoting green and low-carbon high-quality development, as the province is set to pursue a deep integration of culture and tourism.
"As the environment is getting better and better, more locals like to visit our tea tourism cultural park and its good reputation has attracted droves of tourists," said Yan Zaoning, director of a local tea park.
Sebastian Valcic from Germany now works in an innovation zone in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong. He said in recent years, he witnessed over 500 enterprises from countries like Germany, France, Finland, and Japan setting branches in the innovation zone, and these changes boosted his confidence in China's high-quality development.
"Thanks to the institutional and mechanism reform of the Jinan Innovation Zone, I, as a German, can have the opportunity to join the investment promotion department of the Jinan Innovation Zone management committee. I am responsible for attracting global investment. Over the recent years, our team has signed over 100 projects. The Jinan Innovation Zone is a national new- and high-tech development zone, a free trade zone, a comprehensive bonded zone, a pilot zone for upgrading development engine, and a sci-tech innovation financial reform pilot zone. The innovation zone has so many institutional innovations and preferential policies for expanding opening-up. Every time we have an investment promotion event, I always want the investors to know how special here is," said Sebastian Valcic, an external liaison officer of the management committee's investment promotion department.
Apart from attracting investment, Sebastian Valcic said his team will also work to connect enterprises so that they can cooperate with potential partners up and down the industrial chain.
"We will introduce companies up and down the industrial chain to the enterprises so that they can connect, communicate, and cooperate with one another," he said.
According to its three-year action plan, Shandong will continue to enhance the quality and level of its trade and investment by enhancing the efficiency of using foreign investment and deepening international economic and trade cooperation.
Shandong high-quality development provides opportunities to international firms, individuals
