China starts building its largest photovoltaic power base in desert

China started building its largest solar energy base in a desert in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Friday.

The photovoltaic power base, with a total installed capacity of about three gigawatts (GW), is constructed in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City of Ningxia, which is the fourth largest desert in China, with an area of about 43,000 square kilometers.

When completed, the project will generate about 5.78 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, saving 1.92 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.66 million tonnes annually.

With a total investment of 15.25 billion yuan ($2.2 billion), it will generate an annual revenue of about 1.5 billion yuan once completed and provide 1,500 jobs.