The first near-zero carbon expressway pilot project in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region was recently approved, according to information from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Department of Transportation on May 6.

The pilot project is the distributed photovoltaic power generation project along the Hanggin section of the 215 Provincial Expressway, which is located in Hanggin Banner of Ordos city.

The 215 Provincial Expressway, from Duguitala to Xini, spans approximately 72 kilometers and serves as a crucial transportation artery connecting Ordos city to Baotou, Hohhot, and other regions.

The signing of this project signifies a new era of green and low-carbon transformation in the road construction sector in Ordos.

According to the plan, photovoltaic facilities will be established on idle land within the expressway's land area, eliminating the need for additional construction land.

By aligning the photovoltaic facilities along the expressway, material transportation and construction are expedited, without the necessity of constructing new access roads or leveling the ground.

The operation and maintenance of the photovoltaic facilities are set to be integrated with the daily operation management of the expressway, ensuring that the generated electricity is promptly utilized to meet the operational needs along the road.

These facilities will also serve as energy storage stations, vehicle charging ports, and other multi-energy supply systems.

With an annual green electricity generation of around 64 million kilowatt-hours, the daily electricity output of these facilities will meet the project's own power consumption needs with surplus capacity.

This project is expected to achieve a cumulative reduction of 67,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.