China Starts Construction Of 16 GW Solar-Wind-Coal Power Complex

With the largest installed solar capacity worldwide at over 350 GW, China has started to build a massive 16 GW, $11 billion energy project that will host solar, wind and coal energy projects within the complex. As per reports work has started on building the 1 GW solar power project in the Kubuqi Desert that marks the pilot phase of the larger project. The solar installation lies near Ordos in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, Northern China. The vast regions in North China with cold, flat landscapes have increasingly been the focus of giant solar farms.

The mega energy project will include 8 GW of solar and 4 GW of wind energy capacity. It will also include 4 GW of upgraded coal power that will help in adjustments during peak demand. The solar power will be accompanied with 300 MW/600 MWh of energy storage system.

The project is being developed by China Three Gorges Corporation with support from Inner Mongolia Energy Group. China Three Gorges Corporation said that the project cost will come around $11.6 billion or CNY 80 billion.

Upon completion, the 16-GW power project will transfer about 40 TWh of electricity to Beijing, Tianjin and the Hebei Province every year. More than half the power capacity will be clean and green energy. It will be equivalent to a reduction of standard coal usage by about 6 million metric tonnes. This will also translate in to 16 million metric tonnes reduction in carbon emissions.

This project is one of 22 installations that China Three Gorges Corporation has launched recently. The total planned capacity of all is 19.6 GW.

The Energy Jinx 

China already installed 1,000 GW of renewables in 2021: 391 GW Hydropower, 328 GW wind energy and 307 GW of solar energy.

Its National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) wants 450 GW of solar and wind installations in the desert regions taking the overall solar capacity to 1,200 GW by 2030. China also wants to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Despite the massive expansion in renewables, 63 per cent of Chinese electricity comes from coal based power plants that produce 5400 TWh (2021).