The photo taken on September 11, 2020 shows photovoltaic solar panels in Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Photo: VCG

Construction on the world's largest photovoltaic (PV) power station project recently commenced in Angduo, located in Mangkang, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, the Global Times learned from the project co-developer PowerChina's Chengdu Engineering Co on Friday.

The station, designed with a production capacity of about 1,800 megawatts, will set a number of new records. It will be the world's largest in terms of capacity, situated at the highest altitude, and will incorporate the most comprehensive ecological and environmental protection measures.

The PV project, about 45 kilometers from Mangkang county, located at an altitude of 4,200 to 4,800 meters, is one of the nine clean energy bases under the country's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). It is set to realize full capacity grid-connected power generation on November 30, 2024.

Chengdu Engineering Co is responsible for the survey, design, procurement, construction, commissioning and grid-connected power generation of the largest section of the project.

After completion, the project's annual power generation will reach about 5.4 billion kilowatt hours, which can save about 1.67 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.74 million tons, a big drive in China's double carbon goals while promoting Xizang's economic development.

Zhou Hongchun, a research fellow with the Development Research Center of the State Council, China's cabinet, told the Global Times on Friday that thanks to widespread application and technological advances, the costs for PV electricity production have been greatly reduced over the last 10 years.

The latest PV project will do a great deal to tackle electricity supply shortages, shore up local investment and create more jobs, while helping to further secure power supply for high-speed train development in the region, Zhou said.

By the end of April, the total capacity of China's PV panels reached 440 million kilowatts, data from National Energy Administration showed, a sign of progress in the country's energy structure optimization for achieving carbon emission reduction goals.

Global Times