Gobi Desert Solar Power Generation Scenery

What is China's Gobi Desert Project?

This large-scale project primarily focuses on the development of wind and solar power, with a total installed capacity of 13 million kilowatts. It aligns with the Chinese government’s ambitions to expedite the construction of solar and wind power generation facilities in the Gobi Desert and other arid regions.

Will China build 455 gigawatts of solar power in the Gobi?

China plans to build 455 gigawatts of solar and wind power generation capacity in the Gobi and other desert regions by 2030 as part of efforts to boost renewable power use to meet climate change goals, according to a document issued by National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration in March 2022.

How much does the Gobi solar project cost?

The project, with total investment of more than 85 billion yuan ($12.28 billion) and total installed capacity of 13 million kW, is the country's first in response to government ambitions to speed up construction of solar and wind power generation facilities in the Gobi and other parched regions amid efforts to boost renewable energy.

What is the Gobi Desert solar park?

The 2.2 gigawatt facility spans an area of over 25 square kilometers in the Gobi desert. This $3 billion flagship project demonstrates the epic scale of renewable infrastructure developing worldwide. Traveling to the Tengger Desert Solar Park in northwestern China, rows upon rows of solar panels extend endlessly under the barren sky.

Could 450 gigawatts power the Gobi Desert?

Besides supplying energy, the project has halved local wind speeds, restored vegetation and boosted sheep herders’ incomes by 2 million yuan (US$280,000). China is looking at projects in the Gobi desert that could generate 450 gigawatts — 20 times the output of the Three Gorges Dam.

What is the power transmission project in Gobi Desert?

An illustration of the power transmission project in Gobi Desert. /CMG Construction of a new ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission project, which will send power from northwest China to the central province of Hunan, began in Tengger Desert in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Sunday.