China Energy's 3 Million Kilowatt Photovoltaic Base, located in Ordos, north China's Inner Mongolia, was successfully connected to the grid on Tuesday, marking the commencement of operation for China's largest solar power facility built on a coal mining subsidence zone.
With a total installed capacity of 3 million kilowatts, the project involved the installation of approximately 5.9 million photovoltaic panels, spanning over 70 million square meters, an area equivalent to 10,000 standard football fields.
This ambitious project has contributed to China's efforts to rehabilitate degraded land and is also a key part of the country's broader energy strategy, contributing to the west-to-east power transmission system that aims to transport electricity from the western regions to the eastern, industrialized parts of the country.
"The project generates 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 2 million households for a year. It saves 1.71 million tons of standard coal and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4.7 million tons annually," said Dong Weidong, head of the China Energy Inner Mongolia Company.
Yang Yingxin, governor of Otog Front Banner, Inner Mongolia, expressed pride in the construction team's efficiency.
"The construction team completed the 20-month photovoltaic project in just 14 months, achieving full-capacity grid connection. The electricity generated is transmitted through a 1,238-kilometer transmission line, delivering clean energy to Linyi, Shandong. The Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station has also become the largest single-grid-connected new energy project in Inner Mongolia," Yang said.
China starts operation of solar plant built on subsided coal mine
As part of the Ministry of Commerce's "Shopping in China" campaign, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region Consumer Season, together with the 2026 National Consumption Promotion Month initiative, kicked off in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Monday evening, highlighting coordinated efforts to boost regional consumption.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, China Media Group and the governments of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the event aims to showcase the region's commercial strengths and distinctive consumer offerings.
The launch ceremony featured a wide array of products from across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, including intangible cultural heritage items, local specialties, time-honored brands, and emerging consumer labels.
Organizers also unveiled the first list of specialty souvenirs from the regions and released a bilingual Shopping in China · Consumption Guide for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, covering shopping, dining, tourism, and exhibitions and performances to foster the region as a global shopping hub.
This year's consumer season underscores regional coordination, rolling out ten joint initiatives such as AI-plus experiences and premium shopping routes. The campaign is designed to develop a year-round, integrated consumption brand spanning commerce, culture, tourism, and sports.
"By linking signature events, we aim to create year-round highlights that showcase Tianjin's unique charm and consumption vitality," said He Xiaoyang, Director of the Consumption Promotion Division at the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Commerce.
The regional initiative coordinates with the earlier announcement of the Ministry of Commerce to continue building the “Shopping in China” brand, improve trade-in programs for consumer goods, advance new consumption models and scenarios, and enhance the international consumer environment.
By expanding premium consumer goods supply and leveraging first-launch, green, healthy, and smart consumption models, the initiative explores ways to achieve coordinated consumption growth in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, a major trade and industrial powerhouse in northern China.
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei co-host regional initiative to promote consumption
