China Three Gorges Renewables Group, a state-owned power firm, is leading an enormous renewable energy project in China that includes building an 8 GW solar farm. This massive solar farm is going to be a component of a larger integrated energy project that will cost close to $11 billion.
The sheer scale of this solar farm can be appreciated by comparing it to the current largest solar farms globally. China’s Ningxia Tenggeli and Golmud Wutumeiren solar farms each have a capacity of 3 MW, while a solar farm near Urumqi in Xinjiang boasts 3.5 GW. The new 8 GW solar farm will significantly outsize these existing facilities.
Beyond the solar capacity, the project includes a diversified energy mix: 4 GW of wind power, 5 GWh of energy storage capacity, 200 MW of solar thermal power, and controversially, 4 GW of coal-fired power. This comprehensive energy site will be located in Ordos, within northern China’s Inner Mongolia region.
An ultra-high voltage power transmission line will carry the power produced by this large energy complex to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in northern China. The fact that this guarantees the energy generated will sustain one of China’s industrially densest regions highlights the project’s strategic significance.
The project is scheduled to go into service by June 2027, with construction scheduled to start in September 2024. Inner Mongolia Energy Group will be in charge of the remaining 44% of the shares, with China Three Gorges Renewables holding the majority of 56%.
China’s determination to increase its renewable energy capacity while retaining its reliance on conventional energy sources like coal is demonstrated by this initiative. An important step toward China’s energy transition plan is the integrated energy project, which strikes a balance between the country’s aspirations for environmental sustainability and its expanding energy needs.
