The second phase of the Huadian Xizang Caipeng Photovoltaic Power Station in Shannan Prefecture of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, the world's highest-altitude photovoltaic project, officially began operations on Saturday.
The power station's second phase is located at an altitude ranging from 5,046 to 5,228 meters above sea level, setting a new record for the highest elevation of such a power station.
Spanning an area of approximately 134 hectares, the second phase boasts an installed capacity of 100,000 kilowatts. The annual average solar radiation at the site is more than double that of flatlands at the same latitude in China, earning it an "A-grade" classification for solar energy richness under the national solar energy resource assessment standards.
The first phase of the power station, which began operations at the end of 2023 at an altitude of 5,100 meters, has already generated over 60 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. With the addition of the second phase, the combined output of the two facilities is set to significantly alleviate electricity shortages during the winter and spring seasons in the central Tibetan region.
"After the second phase of the project is put into operation, we expect an annual power output of 155 million kilowatt-hours, sufficient to meet the annual needs of 50,000 households. This is equivelant to saving about 46,700 tonnes of standard coal annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 101,800 tons," said Tao Kun, project manager of Huadian Xizang Caipeng Photovoltaic Power Station.
To overcome the unique challenges of constructing photovoltaic projects at such high altitudes, the project team continually innovated construction methods. Despite the second phase being twice the size of the first, the introduction of an assembly-line installation process for support structures boosted construction efficiency by nearly 40 percent, shortening the project timeline by 42 days, which ensured the project was completed to high-quality standards before the onset of the harsh plateau winter.
The second phase utilizes cutting-edge photovoltaic panels with a photoelectric conversion efficiency 7.5 percent higher than those in the first phase. These panels are "bifacial", meaning they generate power from both sides. Light reflected from the ground, or even snow, can be absorbed by the rear panel, enhancing efficiency by 20 percent compared with single-sided panels.
These advanced solar panels, designed to operate for over 25 years, are built to withstand extreme conditions, including gales with speeds ranging from 32.7 to 36.9 meters per second, temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, and up to 1.8 meters of snow accumulation.
The second phrase also adopts a "solar-grazing combination" model, allowing for power generation above and livestock grazing below. The extensive solar panels reduce sunlight exposure to the ground, retaining soil moisture and supporting vegetation growth even in winter.
As China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity, integrating energy storage systems has become critical to building a modern power grid. Incorporates advanced grid-forming energy storage technology, the Caipeng Photovoltaic Power Station has effectively addressed the inherent instability of renewable energy sources.
The 16 large white storage units in the power station, resembling giant "power banks", store solar energy collected during the day and deliver it to the grid at night. Beyond storage, this innovative system can also stabilize grid voltage and frequency, ensuring a reliable and secure power supply even during grid voltage fluctuations.
World's highest solar power project put into operation in China's Xizang
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that mediation efforts of the Pakistani side regarding the Middle East tensions are in the common interests of all parties.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
During their talks, the two sides exchanged views on current international issues and regional conflicts.
Wang welcomed the visit of the Pakistani side to Beijing for discussion on easing tensions in the Middle East, just after its holding of a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
He said China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks. This process is no easy task, and Pakistan's mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties, Wang added.
He noted China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to end the hostilities as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks.
On bilateral ties, Wang said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, calling on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and constantly advance the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
For his part, Dar said the Pakistan-China friendship is precious and deeply rooted in people's hearts, adding that Pakistan is willing to work with China to promote the continuous development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Dar thanked China for supporting Pakistan's mediation of the situation in Iran, adding that the current conflict has disrupted international energy supplies and caused heavy damage to developing countries.
Noting that solutions can only be found through negotiation, Dar said Pakistan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to push all parties to start peace talks as soon as possible and restore regional peace.
The two sides also put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East region:
I. Immediate cessation of hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law, and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations, and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
