- China has commissioned its biggest-ever solar farm in Qinghai, China.
- The 2.2GW plant, which includes a 202.86 MWh battery storage system, was constructed in 11 months.
Until now, China’s biggest solar station was the Tengger Desert Solar Park, with a capacity of 1.54GW. Construction of the project began in November 2019 and started feeding into to grid last month.
The project is a collaboration between Chinese renewable technology company Sungrow and state-owned utility Huanghe Hydropower Development. It is part of the Communist Party’s plan to create a “supergrid” that will transfer wind, solar and hydro energy from the country’s west to its far denser east.
China is both an asset and a liability in the world’s fight against climate change. The country is world leader for solar, wind and hydro-generated power. Yet it remains hugely reliant on coal. In 2020 alone, the country’s power industry has proposed 40GW-worth in new coal plants, according to Global Energy Monitor, roughly equivalent to the coal power output of South Africa.
Last month, Chinese President Xi, said to a United Nations committee that by 2060 China would reach carbon neutrality — meaning it would not produce more carbon dioxide than it captured. China had previously committed to an emissions peak by 2030, but had not set a target for neutrality.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
