Construction has started on a new mega photovoltaic power station in southwest China's Sichuan Province, part of the country's ongoing endeavors to advance the development of clean energy.

Located at an altitude of between 3,200 and 4,200 meters in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the Zhala Mountain photovoltaic power station will have an installed capacity of 1.17 million kilowatts, with an annual average power generation of 2.15 billion kWh.

With a total investment of more than 6 billion yuan (about $823 million), the power station will be fully connected to the grid by 2025.

Once functioning, it is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions annually by around 1.8 million tonnes and save about 650,000 tonnes of standard coal.

The Zhala Mountain photovoltaic power station is part of the clean energy base in the Yalong River basin.

The basin currently boasts an operational installed capacity totalling nearly 21 million kW for hydropower and new energy.

China has announced that it will peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

(With inputs from Xinhua. Cover: A render of the Zhala Mountain photovoltaic power station. /CMG)