Two Chinese firms have provided a major boost to China’s renewable energy ambitions by announcing plans to build a major on-grid solar power plant in Qinghai Province.
China Technology Development Group Corp (CTDC) and Qinghai New Energy Group (QNE) have signed an agreement with the local government to build a 30 MW solar power plant in the Qaidam Basin. The companies say that their long-term objective is to increase the site’s capacity to 1 GW.
The Qaidam solar power plant will be the first in China to integrate crystalline silicon and thin-film solar modules. CTDC and QNE are to invest $150 million in the first phase of the project and expect to start construction in 2009.
“The ambitious plan to build such as large scale solar power plant is a significant step for Qinghai Province to develop and deploy solar energy by taking full advantage of our abundance in solar and desert resources of Qaidam Basin,” commented by Mr. Luo Yulin, Vice Governor of Qinhas Province and Mayor of Xining. “It also reflects the commitment by our government to meet the challenges posed by climate change with reliable and renewable energy.”
Under the agreement, CTDC and QNE will design, construct and manage the power plant, while the local government of Haixi Region will provide the land as well as support the development by helping the developers to obtain various local and central government-backed incentives.
The Qaidam Basin forms the northeast part of the Tibetan plateau and is generally regarded as one of China’s best locations for solar power projects. In 2005 the Chinese government established Qaidam as a special economic experimental zone to promote economic and renewable energy development.
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