For a long time, the mention of deserts, Gobi, and wastelands conjured images of sandstorms, unsuitability for development, and even ecological governance challenges.
Now, these barren lands are becoming a crucial battleground for China's new energy development.
The plan proposes prioritizing the construction of wind and solar power bases in the "Three Norths" region (Northwest, North, and Northwest China) in the Gobi Desert and wasteland areas. This is not a simple statement; it signifies that over the next five years, the focus of my country's new energy development will further shift towards the Northwest.
Why specifically the Gobi Desert and wasteland areas? The reason is quite simple.
On the one hand, these regions possess the nation's highest quality solar energy resources, with long hours of sunshine and high irradiance, naturally suitable for building large-scale centralized photovoltaic power plants. On the other hand, deserts, Gobi, and wastelands offer vast land areas with ample development space, do not encroach on arable land, and do not conflict with food production, making it easier to achieve economies of scale.
More importantly, the Gobi Desert and wasteland areas are no longer simply about building photovoltaic power plants. The plan also mentions the scientific advancement of photovoltaic desertification control and pilot projects for 100% green electricity transmission bases. This means that future construction will not only involve power generation projects but also a new model integrating ecological restoration, energy development, and industrial development. By reducing surface evaporation and improving the underlying ecological environment through photovoltaic panels, combined with vegetation restoration and specialized planting, the goal of "power generation on the panels, environmental remediation beneath them, and increased income between panels" is being achieved. Photovoltaic desertification control is gradually moving from exploratory practices to large-scale promotion.
Simultaneously, relying on ultra-high-voltage transmission channels, green electricity produced in Northwest China will continue to be sent to load centers in central and eastern China, making the Gobi Desert a truly important base for national new energy supply.
For the photovoltaic industry chain, the significance of these 370 million kilowatts of new installed capacity is clearly more than just a number. It means that in the coming years, from silicon materials, silicon wafers, and solar cells to module manufacturing, there will be more clearly defined market demand; the continued construction of large-scale bases will also drive simultaneous growth in EPC, power plant operation, testing, and maintenance. At the same time, large-scale new energy transmission requires the coordinated support of ultra-high-voltage transmission, grid upgrades, and energy storage systems, bringing new development opportunities to the entire new energy industry chain.
In the past few years, the industry has been discussing how to digest excess capacity and how to move beyond price competition. Now, with the accelerated construction of Gobi Desert bases, a more certain new market is gradually opening up.
Localities are vying for a foothold in the desert-based development race.
Even before the official implementation of the "Plan," several provinces had already begun their strategic deployments.
Inner Mongolia remains at the forefront. As a core area for the construction of my country's desert-based development bases, Inner Mongolia has recently seen a series of major projects launched. In July, the Huaneng Kubuqi 10-million-kilowatt-level coal-fired power project supporting the desert-based development base officially commenced construction. This is the first coal-fired power project supporting a desert-based development base to begin construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The entire base is planned to have a total wind and solar power capacity exceeding 12 million kilowatts, along with supporting energy storage and supporting coal-fired power, with an investment exceeding 60 billion yuan.
Meanwhile, the Chifeng 1 million-kilowatt desert wind-solar-storage base transmission project has also officially commenced operation, innovatively adopting a "power generation above the platform, desertification control below" model, combining new energy development with ecological restoration.
Xinjiang has explored another path. Relying on its abundant solar resources, the region is promoting large-scale integrated "solar thermal + photovoltaic" construction. Both the Datang Shichengzi project in Hami and the China Energy Construction Hami Green Power Demonstration Project combine photovoltaics with solar thermal energy storage. Through technologies such as molten salt thermal storage, the new energy source can generate electricity not only during the day but also continuously output power at night, improving the overall utilization efficiency of the base.
Gansu's development focus is on ultra-high-voltage power transmission. Relying on the "Gansu-Zhejiang Power Transmission" corridor, multiple megawatt-level projects in the Tengger Desert New Energy Base are under simultaneous construction. Many of these projects are no longer solely focused on power generation but integrate desertification control, ecological restoration, and photovoltaic development, truly transforming photovoltaic desertification control from a concept into engineering practice.
Ningxia has also developed its own unique approach. The region has fully utilized coal mining subsidence areas to build large-scale photovoltaic bases, transforming former abandoned mining areas into new energy bases. Currently, the largest new energy base in a coal mining subsidence area in China is operating stably, continuously transmitting green electricity to the east via ultra-high-voltage lines, achieving simultaneous progress in resource restoration and energy development.
It's not hard to see that although the construction models vary across regions—some emphasizing photovoltaic power for desertification control, others exploring solar thermal energy storage, some relying on ultra-high-voltage power transmission, and still others developing new energy sources in coal mining subsidence areas—the underlying direction is highly consistent.
As the construction of "desertification control" bases accelerates, a green energy corridor spanning Northwest China and connecting the entire country is gradually taking shape. The release of this "Plan" signifies that this regional exploration will officially rise to a unified national-level deployment.
The 370 million kilowatts of new installed capacity seems encouraging.
However, for the photovoltaic industry, the real challenge is not building the power plants, but rather how to ensure that the electricity generated truly generates value.
The first issue to address is grid integration. The most suitable areas for building large-scale photovoltaic bases in my country are mostly concentrated in the Northwest, while the real electricity load centers are mainly located in East and South China. This means that in the future, more and more green electricity will need to be transmitted across provinces via ultra-high-voltage power transmission.
Therefore, while proposing to accelerate the construction of "desert and Gobi" bases, the "Plan" also specifically emphasizes the construction of 100% green electricity transmission bases. Bases can be built quickly, but whether the supporting power grid, transmission channels, and dispatching systems can keep pace will directly determine the ultimate value of these projects.
In addition, ecological balance is also an unavoidable issue. Photovoltaic desertification control has achieved many successes in recent years, but this does not mean that all deserts and Gobi are suitable for large-scale development. Different regions have different natural conditions and ecological environments. How to balance new energy construction with ecological protection, ensuring that construction is appropriate for local conditions and ecological restoration is appropriate for local conditions, still requires more scientific planning and long-term operation.
Another more practical issue is profitability. In the past two years, component prices have been declining, and power plant investment costs have been decreasing. However, at the same time, factors such as the full entry of new energy into the market and fluctuations in green electricity prices have also led to a new adjustment phase in power plant profitability. In the future, large-scale base projects not only need to be built, but also need to be financially viable. Whether market mechanisms such as green electricity trading, green certificates, and carbon markets can be further improved will also become important variables affecting project profitability.
However, from another perspective, these challenges precisely illustrate that the photovoltaic industry has entered a new stage of development.
In the past few years, the competition was about who could install more; in the future, the competition will be about who can build better, operate more efficiently, and generate more stable returns.
For the photovoltaic industry, this presents both a new market opportunity and a new test of capabilities. Those who can adapt to the new development model and keep pace with the new industry rhythm will have a greater chance of sharing the benefits brought by this round of "barren land" construction.
