The highway running through the Taklimakan desert in the Xinjiang autonomous region is a sustainable project that spans 522 km and is equipped with a total of 86 solar power plants. These photovoltaic cells generate electricity to pump and irrigate water, providing an effective solution to replace the use of diesel-powered irrigation pumps entirely. The trans-desert highway project has produced over 5 million kilowatts of clean electricity as of June 10, with each solar power plant capable of producing around 11,000 kW per day.
The Tarim Oilfield Company of China Petroleum Company has constructed four solar power plants with a cumulative installed capacity of 1.3 million kW in remote areas of the Taklamakan desert and its surroundings. These plants have generated over 700 million kW of clean electricity, ensuring a stable electricity supply to meet the increasing demand during the summer months and supporting the local economy.
Recent data from the National Energy Administration indicates that China has accounted for more than 50% of the 510 gigawatts of newly installed renewable energy capacity worldwide in 2023. This highlights the country’s significant contributions to the development and implementation of sustainable energy projects on a global scale. The zero-carbon trans-desert highway represents China’s first sustainable project in this area, making it an important milestone in its efforts towards becoming carbon neutral by 2060.
