China's largest onshore wind power base fully operational in desert

China's largest onshore wind power project has commenced operation at full capacity in the desert region of northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to the country's leading nuclear power operator China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN).

The Hinggan League wind power project, with an annual electricity generating capacity of over 10 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), was connected to the grid on Sunday. It is one of China's first batch of large-scale wind and solar power bases planned for desert regions, CGN Chairman Yang Changli told China Media Group (CMG).

With 701 wind turbine generators and a combined installed capacity of three million kilowatts, electricity generated by the plant is environmentally friendly and equivalent to offsetting standard coal consumption by about 2.96 million tonnes, and preventing the discharge of around 8.02 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

"The Hinggan League three-million-kilowatt wind power project is among the country's first batch of large wind power and photovoltaic bases built in sandy, rocky and desert areas, and the biggest onshore wind power project of them," said Yang.

Mega project for clean energy

"The project will provide clean energy for advancing the national dual-carbon strategy (achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060), promoting the socioeconomic development and revitalizing the rural areas of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region," Yang added.

The wind farm is also an important project under the Beijing-Inner Mongolia trans-regional pair-up assistance scheme, Yang noted, adding that through various means including the establishment of a wind power equipment manufacturing industrial park, the project has provided more than 1,000 jobs for locals and created tax revenue of 400 million yuan (about $56 million).

"With this wind power base, the installed capacity of CGN's new energy power generation facilities in operation in China is expected to reach 45 million kilowatts by the end of this year," said Zhang Zhiwu, chairman of the board of CGN New Energy Holdings.

He added that new energy covers wind power, photovoltaic power, solar thermal power, power extraction and storage, energy storage, hydrogen power and more. CGN's 570-plus new energy power generation facilities are distributed across 30 Chinese provincial-level regions. 

Yang Changli also told CMG that "in the future, CGN will further increase investment in new energy technology innovation, strengthen cooperation with upstream and downstream firms of the industrial chain, integrate ourselves into local economic and social development."

"The move will give full play to the role of centrally administrated enterprises in technological innovation, industrial control and safety support, in a bid to promote high-quality development of the new energy sector," Yang added.