Solar, wind, and large-scale hydrogen production projects are transforming the Taklimakan Desert from a barren land into a source of clean energy for Xinjiang.
Through various environmentally friendly approaches, the Taklimakan Desert, often referred to as a “dead sea,” is the largest desert in China and the second-largest shifting sand desert in the world. It has become a key foundation for the clean energy development efforts in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest. In recent years, numerous solar power plants have been built alongside plantations of crops such as roses and goji berries at the edge of this vast desert. This transformation has turned Taklimakan into a center for sustainable development, reported CGTN on June 18.
Solar panels at a power plant in Lop County. (Photo: Xinhua)
Tian Juxiong, the director of the power plant in Lop County, Hotan Prefecture, regularly monitors the solar energy production system and oversees the daily operations of the equipment through a control screen. According to Tian, the southern part of the Taklimakan Desert benefits from low rainfall and abundant sunlight, providing 1,600 hours of electricity generation each year.
Operated by a power investment company, the plant has a total installed capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) and generates 360 million kWh of electricity annually. The plant can meet the residential electricity needs of 25.9 million residents in Xinjiang for about 10 days. Each year, the plant helps save 110,000 tons of standard coal, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 330,000 tons and nitrogen dioxide by 1,300 tons. The project is also equipped with an energy storage system with a capacity of 80,000 kWh. In rainy conditions, when the plant cannot produce electricity, the storage system acts as a battery, providing power for about two hours.
According to Yu Zhongping, a researcher at the Xinjiang branch of the national grid, most solar and wind power plants in the southern part of the autonomous region are equipped with storage systems to ensure stable renewable energy supply.
In the city of Kucha, located on the northwestern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, a green hydrogen project is set to commence operations with a production capacity of 20,000 tons upon completion. Solar energy will replace fossil fuels in hydrogen production, according to Cao Jie, deputy director of Sinopec Tahe Chemical and Refining Company.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China aims to promote the construction of large-scale solar and wind power plants in the desert region, develop hydropower infrastructure, and explore biomass, thermal power, and ocean energy in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021 – 2025).
As of May 2023, the total installed renewable energy capacity in southern Xinjiang exceeded 8,400 MW, with new power generation facilities providing an additional 8,259 MW under construction, according to Ding Biwei, who is responsible for connecting new energy to the grid in Xinjiang. As the grid gradually connects around the Tarim Basin, electricity generated from clean energy sources not only supplies Xinjiang but also contributes to carbon neutrality goals.
