Tarim Oilfield's annual green electricity output tops 2 billion kWh

The Tarim Oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has generated over 2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar power this year, setting a new annual record, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) announced on Sunday.

According to CNPC, the Tarim oilfield, as a major source for China's west-to-east gas transmission project, also set a historic single-day high of over 10 million kWh in solar generation, marking a new integrated development pattern for oil, gas, and new energy in the heart of the Taklamakan Desert.

"Our annual solar power output has achieved leapfrog growth over the past three years, from 260 million kWh in 2023 to 1.34 billion kWh in 2024, and now exceeding 2 billion kWh this year. This marks a leap forward from scratch to a considerable scale," said Liang Yulei, manager of the new energy department of the Tarim Oilfield, CNPC.

Across oil and gas well sites deep in the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, 239 distributed solar projects have been installed, covering approximately 6,667 hectares of desert land -- an effort that aligns energy development with ecological protection.

To date, the Tarim oilfield has built five large-scale photovoltaic power stations in Yuli, Qiemo, Yecheng and Jiashi Counties, as well as Shangku high-tech industrial development zone, with a total installed capacity of 2.6 gigawatts (GW).

"By installing photovoltaic panels over shifting sands, we generate power above while lowering wind speed and creating shade below. Under the panels, we have laid drip irrigation belts for biological sand control, achieving multiple benefits at one go. Our total installed capacity is expected to exceed 4 GW next year," said Lei Ting, executive director of the new energy department of the Tarim Oilfield.

Construction is now fully underway on a new 100-megawatt solar project in Xinjiang’s Luntai County, on the northern brim of the Taklamakan Desert. Once operational, it will generate 158 million kWh of green electricity annually.

Of the green power generated in the desert, 8 percent will be used for local oil and gas production, while the remaining 92 percent will be transmitted outside Xinjiang, helping cut the oilfield's energy use and carbon emission intensity by over 10 percent, while also supplying green electricity to households across China.

Tarim Oilfield's annual green electricity output tops 2 billion kWh

China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen has handled a record number of cross-border passengers this year, local immigration authority said on Saturday.

As of 19:00 on Saturday, ports across Xiamen, Fujian Province had recorded more than 6 million inbound and outbound travelers, an increase of nearly 20 percent year on year, according to data from the Gaoqi Branch of Xiamen General Immigration Inspection Station.

Xiamen has become a popular destination for foreign tourists for vacation, leisure, business and other activities, as the campaign of "China Travel" has grown popular among international travelers this year.

Xiamen ports have handled over 1.1 million foreign entries and exits. Among them, nearly 380,000 were beneficiaries of the visa-free policy or 240-hour visa-free transit, marking a growth of nearly 35 percent from last year.

"[I will stay in China for] two months. I think maybe shopping or something exciting, maybe. I think it's a nice country. A lot of things you can buy here, nice things. I think every people is very nice," said Chris, a tourist from the Netherlands.

Xiamen handles record cross-border travelers