The 750-kV Miaoling substation in Ningxia. [Photo/Ningxia Daily]
Ningxia, renowned for its vast wind and solar resources, is crucial in China's energy landscape. The region boasts 171 million kilowatts of exploitable wind and solar energy, with an average annual wind speed of 5.65 meters per second and 3,200 to 3,300 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of China's richest areas for solar energy.
Its extensive unused lands, primarily desert and barren areas, provide ideal conditions for developing photovoltaic and wind power projects, supporting sustainable land use and ecological protection.
Ningxia's renewable energy journey began in 2003 with its first wind farm, the Helan Mountain Wind Farm. In 2009, it introduced its first photovoltaic power station. In 2012, Ningxia was designated China's first comprehensive new energy demonstration zone.
Since then, the region has developed a large-scale wind and photovoltaic base, enhancing new energy absorption through local consumption and external transmission. The Lingzhou to Shaoxing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, initiated in the same year, facilitated the establishment of a 750 kV double-loop backbone grid, accelerating Ningxia's power development.
China's first "Desert-Gobi-Barren" new energy base power transmission facility in Ningxia. [Photo/Ningxia Daily]
By the end of 2022, Ningxia's new energy installed capacity reached 30.4 million kilowatts, surpassing coal power as the largest power source and making Ningxia the fourth province where new energy installations account for over 50 percent of the total capacity. In September 2023, Ningxia completed China's largest and most advanced provincial-level virtual power plant.
In 2024, Ningxia's new energy installed capacity reached 41.33 million kW, with a utilization rate of 96.3 percent. New energy generation accounted for 44.2 percent of total electricity consumption.
The region is building a "Green Power Town" in Minning, aiming for a 24-hour green power supply. Ningxia's new energy capacity is projected to reach 86 million kW by 2026, requiring significant energy storage expansion.
The assembled ±800 kV towers of the "Desert-Gobi-Barren" new energy base power transmission facility. [Photo/Ningxia Daily]