Constructing photovoltaic power stations on coal yards

At 10 a.m. on March 18, the first domestic documentary exploration program on the photovoltaic industry, "One Stop, One Exploration," produced by CCTV.com, premiered. 

The first stop visited the largest single-unit installed capacity photovoltaic power station in the country—the Shengli Energy Open-pit Coal Yard Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Power Station under the CHN Energy.

Located in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, the station under CHN Energy covers an area of 7500 mu (500 hectares). This large-scale power station generates approximately 300 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which can meet the power needs of 200,000 households, equivalent to reducing 98,700 tons of standard coal and lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 295,000 tons.

Constructing a photovoltaic power station on a coal yard is much more challenging than was anticipated. The region experiences temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter and is frequently subjected to strong winds.

In order to protect the environment, workers have adopted a special technique using steel spiral piles to ensure that the photovoltaic panels can be securely buried in the ground even in the case of strong gales reaching force 8 or 9 during winter. This approach maximizes the protection of the ground surface. 

Additionally, the photovoltaic panels are installed at a fixed angle of 40 degrees, creating a shaded area extending 3 meters underneath, reducing surface water evaporation by 20% to 30% and providing more breathing space for plants.

After six months of observation, the vegetation under the panels at the station is significantly greener compared with other areas, indicating that the photovoltaic power station is beneficial for soil and water conservation. 

Currently, the variety of vegetation in the mining area has reached 127 species, including 35 to 40 species of woody plants, and over 70 species of herbaceous plants.

In addition to the unrestrained growth of diverse greenery, the mining area also provides a habitat for wildlife. Rare wild animals such as hares, eagles and gray magpies occasionally appear in the photovoltaic field, bringing vibrant vitality to the otherwise monotonous project area.

Currently, CHN Energy has built 18 photovoltaic power stations on coal mines, with a total installed capacity of 2.8 million kilowatts. 

In the next five years, an additional 330 square kilometers of coal mining subsidence areas and coal yard sites will be developed, capable of accommodating 16 million kilowatts of photovoltaic projects.