Green energy breathes new life into barren land in N China

Rows of photovoltaic panels gleam in the sunlight as greenery emerges from the once-barren land beneath them, while large wind turbines dot the landscape, together presenting a vivid picture of the area's transformation.

This is the site of a desertification control project integrated with wind and solar power facilities in Horqin Left Wing Middle Banner of Tongliao city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The first phase of the project, with a total installed capacity of 550 megawatts (MW), has already been connected to the grid. It comprises 200 MW of wind power and 350 MW of photovoltaic power, with supporting electrochemical energy storage facilities.

Located on a saline-alkali wasteland previously plagued by wind and sand erosion, its first phase combines green energy generation with sand control and soil improvement.

It adopts a three-dimensional model: electricity is generated via wind and solar power facilities, Leymus chinensis, a perennial grass species that is cold-tolerant and adapted to saline-alkali soils, is planted between solar panels, and sand control is carried out beneath them. It has brought 12,000 mu (800 hectares) of saline-alkali land under comprehensive management.

The project's first phase is expected to generate an average of around 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 1 million tonnes each year.

It has also created jobs and boosted local incomes, advancing ecological restoration, new energy development and improved livelihoods in tandem.