A 2-million-kilowatt photovoltaic power generation project recently started construction in Hanggin Banner in the city of Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

It is located in the Kubuqi Desert, the seventh largest desert in China. More than 60 percent of the Kubuqi Desert is mobile sand dunes, but it has abundant solar energy resources, with an average annual sunshine time of more than 3,180 hours.

The project was jointly invested by Ordos, the Hanggin Banner State-owned Assets Platform, Elion Resources Group Limited, and China Three Gorges Renewables Group, receiving a total investment of around 12 billion yuan ($1.80 billion).

It is expected to use 100,000 mu (6,666.67 hectares) of land to build a power generation base consisting of 4.46 million photovoltaic panels. 

It is scheduled to achieve full-capacity grid-connected power generation by the end of 2023. The annual average on-grid power is expected to reach 4.1 billion kWh, and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.4 million metric tons.

According to Zhang Yongchun, chairman in charge of photovoltaic power generation project in Elion Resources Group Limited, the project uses double-sided double-glass photovoltaic panels and tracking brackets, which can absorb direct sunlight and ground reflected light at the same time, and automatically adjust the direction of the sun's position in real time, increasing power generation efficiency.

Another feature of the project is the combination of power generation and sand control, Zhang added.

In the project area, arbores, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are grown to prevent wind and sand movement. Meanwhile, high-quality pastures such as poplar and flower sticks are planted under the boards, providing food for chickens and ducks raised between the boards.

The Kubuqi photovoltaic desertification control project is not only an exploration of the application of advanced technologies in the photovoltaic industry, but also a solar composite ecological project integrating photovoltaics and vegetation.

It is conducive to the exploration and application of clean energy and carbon reduction, according to Zhang Bin, deputy director of the Inner Mongolia Energy Bureau.