China's largest desert-based PV project set to begin commercial operation

China's largest desert-based photovoltaic (PV) project — with the highest single-site installed capacity in the country's sandy, rocky, and desert areas — is set to begin commercial operation by the end of May, said Guo Xiaoyang, deputy director of the Ruoqiang Regional Operation and Maintenance Center at China Green Development Xinjiang Zhonglv Electric Technology.

Once commercially operational, the four-gigawatt facility will supply 6.9 billion kWh of electricity annually. It is enough to power two million homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5.7 million tonnes.

The project, located on the southeastern edge of the Taklimakan desert in Ruoqiang county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was connected to the grid in December 2024.

Spread over more than 76 square kilometers, the project will adopt artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing to enable smart and unmanned management of clean energy, Guo said.