In a recent episode of the Art of Governance, CGTN's Liu Xin, joined by Shanghai Daily's Andy Boreham, visited the world's largest solar plant in China's Qinghai Province. This unique project is not only generating clean energy but also enhancing local livelihoods and promoting sustainable development.
A Win-Win Solution for People and Planet
Located in the Talatan Gobi Desert, the solar plant features thousands of solar panels stretching across the landscape. Beneath these panels, sheep graze freely on grass that grows thanks to water runoff from panel cleaning. This innovative approach addresses desertification, which had threatened local herdsmen's livelihoods as fertile pastures declined.
Cao Jun, an engineer at the Hainan Branch of Huanghe Corporation, explained that herdsmen are granted free access to the site, allowing their sheep to graze on the fresh grass. The solar plant boasts a power generation capacity of 8,430 megawatts, delivering clean energy to the national grid while providing regular income for herders and abundant food for their flocks.
Expert Endorsement
Dimitri De Boer, Chief Representative for China at ClientEarth, praised the system as "perfect," noting that it sustains local livelihoods and improves land quality. "There is no trade-off. It's win-win for everybody," he said.
China's Broader Green Development Strategy
This solar plant is just one example of China's innovative use of technology to advance economic development while protecting the environment. According to the 15th Five-Year Plan, China is advancing carbon peaking and neutrality goals by coordinating actions to cut emissions, reduce pollution, expand green capacity, and promote growth.
China's green development has global impact: it supplies about 70% of the world's wind power equipment and 80% of photovoltaic components, reducing global costs of wind and solar power generation by over 60% and 80%, respectively.
As the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, China continues to pursue green development, working with all countries to address climate challenges and secure a cleaner, more beautiful world.
