China builds "Solar Panel Great Wall" in Kubuqi Desert

Photo shows row upon row of solar panels in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Qi Haonan)

Consisting of row upon row of blue solar panels, a photovoltaic (PV) base with an installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts was put into operation in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The PV base is the “Dalad Banner Model” for improving Inner Mongolia's energy supply structure and advancing ecological governance against desertification in the Kubuqi Desert.

Photo shows grass grown under solar panels in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Rui)

"After decades of arduous efforts, we have achieved the transition from ‘desert advancing, humans retreating’ to ‘green advancing, desert retreating’. Now there is green prosperity while combating desertification," said Zhong Yuzhan, deputy head of the energy bureau of Dalad Banner. “You all know about the Great Wall; today, let me show you our ‘PV Great Wall’!” Zhong added proudly.

Near the PV base, a local dairy enterprise operates a dairy farm where cows feed primarily on alfalfa grown under the solar panels. The manure from the dairy farm, after treatment, is used to irrigate the forage grass, said Li Kai, an official with the energy bureau of Dalad Banner. He added that this eco-friendly approach helps enrich the desert soil and the quality of the forage grass.

Photo shows row upon row of solar panels in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Qi Haonan)

Such an innovative desertification control model has improved the ecological environment of the Kubuqi Desert and provided more employment opportunities and income sources for local residents. Additionally, the development of the PV industry has driven the improvement of related industries, further promoting sustainable economic development in the area.

Currently, Dalad Banner plans to install new energy capacity totaling 195.5 million kilowatts, of which around 147.5 million kilowatts will be solar power.

"The PV project in the Kubuqi Desert has not only provided new ideas and methods for desertification prevention and control, but also makes us anticipate the rise of more “PV Great Walls” in the desert,'" Li said.

Photo shows row upon row of solar panels in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Qi Haonan)

Photo shows row upon row of blue solar panels in the Kubuqi Desert, Dalad Banner, Ordos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Liyang)