On January 2nd, China Green Development Group announced that the 400-megawatt solar power project in Ruoqiang, managed by Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric"), has been successfully connected to the grid.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
On January 2nd, China Green Development Group announced that the 400-megawatt solar power project in Ruoqiang, managed by Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric"), has been successfully connected to the grid. This achievement marks a significant milestone in China's development of "desert and gobi" solar power projects, as it is the largest single-unit project of its kind in the country.
Spanning an area of 76.02 square kilometers, equivalent to 10,647 standard football fields, the project is equipped with 5,537,224 solar panels, 1,280 power generation unit arrays, and four million - level 220 kV step - up substations, which are the largest in scale nationwide. Initiated in late August 2023, it is one of the first large - scale new energy projects in Xinjiang.
Guo Xiaoyang, Deputy Manager of the Ruoqiang Regional Operation and Maintenance Center at Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric, stated that "the project is the first to widely apply heterojunction solar panel technology, which offers superior light absorption and a 0.2% higher power generation efficiency compared to traditional panels." Once fully operational, the project is anticipated to generate 6.9 billion kilowatt - hours of electricity annually, sufficient to meet the annual power needs of 2 million households. This will result in a saving of 2.08 million tons of raw coal and a reduction of 5.72 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, thus making a substantial contribution to the green and low - carbon transition of the economy and society.
Situated on the southeastern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, the solar panels, standing over two meters tall, serve a dual purpose. Besides generating power, they act as windbreaks, effectively reducing surface wind speeds and erosion. The panel foundations help stabilize the sand, preventing dune movement. Additionally, the panels cut down on surface water evaporation, facilitating the growth of desert vegetation. Data indicates that the panels will intercept most of the sand and dust in the wind flow, blocking an area of 17.2 million square meters.