New solar energy project turns desert into 'sea of blue'

Aerial photo shows the Tengger Desert new energy base in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Liang Hongxin)

From a sand dune in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, neat rows of photovoltaic panels stretch across the Tengger Desert, transforming the golden sands into a vast indigo sea of steady green energy production.

The Tengger Desert new energy base is the first to be approved, launched, and put into operation among the 10 million kW-level projects in desert and Gobi areas in China. It also serves as a key supporting project for China's first ultra-high-voltage transmission line dedicated to delivering renewable energy from desert solar bases. Phase I is already connected to the grid, while Phase II is under construction.