China launches world’s largest wind and solar project

The largest co-located wind and solar installation in the world has officially started operations in northwestern China, boasting an impressive capacity of 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy alongside 1.5 GW of solar power.

This milestone was announced by Envision Energy, a prominent Chinese green technology firm, via its English-language LinkedIn profile earlier this week. The project is situated on the expansive Loess Plateau, a region covering 635,000 square kilometres, which makes up approximately 6.6 per cent of China’s total land area while also supporting a population exceeding 100 million.

Overcoming Construction Challenges

The site, positioned southeast of the vast Gobi Desert, is marked by varied terrains, including valleys, desert fringes, and hills, which posed significant difficulties during construction. To tackle these unique challenges, Envision Energy implemented specially designed 5.56 megawatt (MW) wind turbines tailored for the region’s low-wind and rugged mountainous conditions. These turbines incorporate large rotors and a high-capacity design, effectively minimizing the total number of units required.

Each turbine blade, measuring 99 metres, faced the daunting task of traversing lengthy, steep, and winding roads to reach the installation site.

Transforming the Landscape

Envision Energy expressed optimism about the transformation of the Loess Plateau, stating, “Once seen as a harsh and resource-constrained landscape, the Loess Plateau is now being transformed into a source of stable, large-scale green power.”

This innovative wind and solar farm is projected to produce over 12 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, which will be transmitted through ultra-high-voltage lines to meet the needs of industrial regions along China’s eastern coast.