The construction is part of China’s multi-year plan to build a “Great Solar Wall” designed to generate enough energy to supply Beijing.
The project, scheduled for completion in 2030, will have a length of 400 kilometers and a width of 5 kilometers and will reach a maximum production capacity of 100 gigawatts. So far, Chinese authorities say they have installed about 5.4 gigawatts.
The Great Wall of Solar Panels
Kubuqi Desert’s sunny climate, flat terrain, and proximity to industrial centers make it an attractive location for solar power generation. Signs are installed on a long, narrow strip of dunes just south of the Yellow River, between the towns of Baotou and Bayannur. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) and OLI-2 satellites of the Landsat 8 and 9 satellites captured this pair of images showing the expansion of the surface area of solar parks between December 2017 (empty of solar panels) and December 2024 (full of ‘between them).
The solar power plant that resembles a galloping horse, Junma Solar Power Station, was completed in 2019 and set a world record in the Guinness Book for the largest image made with solar panels. It produces around 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 300,000 to 400,000 people. Junma means “beautiful horse” in Mandarin.
-Besides generating electricity, planners hope the facility will have other benefits. They think that this can help stop desertification by preventing dune movement and slowing winds. Additionally, raised panels create shade that slows evaporation and can make it easier for grass and other crops to grow underneath. Analysis of Landsat data indicates that solar projects have contributed to the greening of deserts in other parts of China in recent years.
China, power of solar parks
As of June 2024, China led the world in operational solar park capacity with 386,875 megawatts, accounting for about 51% of the global total.according to the Global Solar Power Tracker of Global Energy Monitor. The United States comes in second with 79,364 megawatts (11%), followed by India with 53,114 megawatts (7%).
The growth of solar power in China has been particularly rapid over the past decade. Between 2017 and 2023, the country’s operational solar capacity increased by an average of 39,994 megawatts per year. U.S. solar capacity increased by an average of 8,137 megawatts during the same period.
