China has progressed impressively towards sustainable development through intentions to install 253 GW of solar power generation capacity in its desert northern provinces by 2030. Not only is this strategic focus on utility-scale PV accelerating the uptake of renewable energy, it is also directly confronting desertification, a grave environmental problem in provinces such as Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang.
With more than 100 million hectares of vulnerable land, in the midst of eight vast deserts, China's "Three Norths" (North China, Northwest China and Northeast China) is one of Asia's sunniest yet ecologically most exposed regions.
Two goals: energy growth and land rejuvenation
According to the Photovoltaic Desertification Control Plan jointly published by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA), China's targets are:
Install 253 GW of solar power generating capacity
Reclaim more than 673,000 hectares (1.66 million mu) of land
Develop a solar-ecological integrated mode by incorporating renewable energy and land restoration
This project brings forth a new paradigm for photovoltaic desertification control through synergizing ecological restoration with massive-scale clean energy deployment.
Natural advantages of desert solar projects
Desert areas have high merits for developing large-scale solar power projects:
Sufficient sunshine throughout the year: Desert areas have plenty of sunshine and can generate electricity efficiently year-round.
Inexpensive land: Land in deserts is comparatively inexpensive, which reduces project costs.
Low population density: Desert areas are thinly populated, which reduces land use conflicts and resettlement issues.
High returns: Projects can reap considerable economic gains from selling electricity and carbon credits.
Yet these gains also bring environmental responsibilities. The new plan gives "green energy first, ecological environment first" to avert damage to fragile ecosystems.
Priority development areas
The initiative divides the region into three climatic zones and five priority development areas, including:
The edge of the Tengger Desert
The edge of the Taklimakan Desert
Parts of the Kubuqi Desert
Pilot projects are being carried out in the following areas to experiment with comprehensive solutions, including:
Solar arrays with vegetation restoration: Planting vegetation around solar panels for improving the ecological environment.
Agrivoltaic model: Planting crops such as tomatoes or vanilla under solar panels for achieving multifunctional land use.
Solar-storage-hydrogen hybrid system: combines solar power generation, energy storage technology and hydrogen energy for improving energy utilization efficiency and stability.
Big-time planting of trees, conventional desert control, costs as much as RMB 12,000 (about $1,650) per acre. Desert control combined with solar, however, saves lots of money:
Estimated cost: RMB 1,800 to 3,000 (about $250 to $415) per acre, partially covered by solar revenue.
Incomes from other sources: Incomes from carbon credits, green energy subsidy, and double-purpose farming.
These financial advantages make massive solar projects an economically attractive solution for energy investors and local authorities.
One of China's best-known photovoltaic desert management examples is the Kubuqi Desert Project:
Solar capacity: 2 gigawatts (GW).
Combined greenhouse and desert herb farm: several purposes.
Annual income: more than RMB 1 billion.
Technical applications: i.e., battery energy storage systems and hydrogen production.
This multimodal model will guide eventual deployment across the country.
Inadequate grid infrastructure in rural areas: grid facilities are not perfect.
Environmental degradation due to poorly conceived solar locations: Ecological problems may be triggered by poor planning.
Excessive capacity at the cost of sustainability: Capacity focus at the cost of sustainability.
Provincial planning development with integrated land-energy planning: Integrated land and energy planning under provincial development planning.
Involvement of local stakeholders: In particular, farmers' and pastoralists' involvement.
Ecological modeling and intelligent building standards through technology: Use technology in ecological modeling and the development of intelligent building standards.
The activities will find place in China's 15th Five-Year Plan and will find strong support from state-owned energy companies.
To fully realize the benefits of public utility photovoltaic scale solar power in desert zones, energy storage systems are critical.
These vast solar farms produce peak electricity during the day, but battery storage allows that power to be used during evening demand spikes or fed steadily into the grid.
As China leads in global desert solar transformation, high-performance energy infrastructure becomes essential. Huijue Group provides next-generation energy storage solutions and solar system components tailored for both harsh environments and scalable deployments.
Explore Huijue’s product range or contact us today to support your next large-scale solar project.
