China's Solar-Powered Highway Generates Over 5 Million kWh of Green Electricity
China's Tarim Desert Highway, the country's longest solar irrigation and sand control project, has produced more than 5 million kWh of green electricity. The route, which includes 86 solar power units, offers sustainable electricity to irrigate nearly 3,100 hectares of ecologically protecting woodlands. The project cuts diesel consumption by roughly 1,000 tonnes and CO2 emissions by 3,410 tonnes per year.
China's Tarim Desert Highway, the country's longest solar irrigation and sand control project, has produced more than 5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green electricity, according to PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer.
The route runs for 522 kilometres through the Taklimakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and includes 86 solar power units. This ground-breaking project intends to replace diesel generators for water pumping and irrigation, supplying sustainable and environmentally friendly electricity to over 3,100 hectares of ecologically protected woodlands along the road.
With a total installed capacity of 3,540 kilowatts, the solar stations generate approximately 1.1 million kWh of electricity daily. Wen Zhang, the deputy general manager of the PetroChina Tarim Oilfield Branch, stated that all 109 water wells along the highway now utilise clean electricity for water pumping and irrigation. The project meets the technical requirements of photovoltaic power generation and has a seven-hour energy storage capacity.
To ensure the continuous operation of water pumping devices even in the absence of sunlight, engineers have designed three types of photovoltaic power generation equipment and implemented photovoltaic energy storage systems. This novel strategy, termed as "sunlight nurturing greenery," combines power generation from solar panels with growing beneath them. It also includes measures for desert control, soil remediation, and comprehensive water resource management, all with the goal of altering the ecological environment within the desert core.
Technical experts predict that this initiative will reduce diesel consumption by about 1,000 tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 3,410 tonnes per year. The Tarim Desert Highway is a notable example of green infrastructure since it combines renewable energy generation with sustainable ecological practices.
China's Tarim Desert Highway, the longest photovoltaic irrigation and sand control project in the country, has generated over 5 million kWh of green electricity.
Equipped with 86 solar power stations, the highway provides sustainable electricity for irrigating over 3,100 hectares of ecological protective forests.
The project reduces diesel consumption by approximately 1,000 tonnes and decreases carbon dioxide emissions by 3,410 tonnes annually.
Source: CGTN