Where is China's largest solar power plant located?

Longyuan Renewables Once a coal mining site, the Otog Front Banner, Ordos in Inner Mongolia is now home to the Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, China’s largest single-capacity solar power plant. The facility is designed to generate 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year, sufficient to power two million households.

Does China have a solar power plant?

China aims to solve this with the West-East Power Transmission and Western Development initiative by setting up renewable energy projects in sparsely populated western regions. As part of this initiative, it has now converted a former coal mining site into its largest single-capacity solar power plant.

Does China need a large-capacity solar power plant?

The increasing demand for clean energy and China’s aim to reach net zero emissions by 2060 have increased renewable energy installations in the Asian country. However, large-capacity solar power plants require large tracts of land, which is difficult to achieve in densely populated regions with high electricity demand.

Will China's blue ocean solar power station stop burning coal?

The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station covers an area of 7,000 hectares (70 sq km) and is home to more than 5.9 million solar panels. By bringing this project online, China estimates that it will stop burning 1.71 million tons of coal every year and reduce its carbon emissions by 4.7 million tons.

How much did China invest in a solar power plant?

The total project investment is RMB12 billion ($1.65 billion). The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station is also special because it hosts the first large-scale outdoor solar testing base in the Gobi desert, helping China gather more data on setting up solar power plants in challenging environments.

How can China solve a large-capacity solar power plant problem?

However, large-capacity solar power plants require large tracts of land, which is difficult to achieve in densely populated regions with high electricity demand. China aims to solve this with the West-East Power Transmission and Western Development initiative by setting up renewable energy projects in sparsely populated western regions.