Photo shows a smart control center of a project for the coordination of power source-grid-load-storage in the Jeminay border economic cooperation zone in Jeminay county, Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Wang Wenzheng)

Since the beginning of this year, the popular Chinese TV drama series "To the Wonder" has boosted the popularity of the remote Altay region. The region, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has a sprawling animal husbandry sector.

However, there's more to this story than meets the eye - Altay is making waves in the clean energy sector, as evidenced by its ambitious wind and solar power projects.

Wind and sunlight accelerating clean energy development

On the vast desert plains, wind turbines hum steadily as they rotate, while endless rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels resemble a vast indigo sea. Traveling across the six counties and one city of Altay, the magnificent scenes of wind and solar power development can be seen everywhere.

At a wind farm operated by Xinjiang Xinhua Wind Power Development Co., Ltd. in Burqin county, Altay, 16 units of wind turbines, each with a capacity of 6.25 MW, stand tall against the sky. Thanks to the application of automation systems, the wind farm and a 110 kV transformer substation operate well.

Meanwhile, in the Jeminay border economic cooperation zone in Atlay's Jeminay county, a smart control center is the beating heart of a project for the coordination of power source-grid-load-storage, which includes 400,000 kW of wind and solar capacity and a storage capacity of 80,000 kWh.

Xu Yong, deputy director of operations of CGN New Energy Investment (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Xinjiang Branch, said the project was connected to the grid at the end of 2023. It can generate about 1.26 billion kWh of clean electricity annually, saving 380,000 tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.25 million tonnes every year.

Ma Qiang, director of Jeminay county's development and reform commission, said the county aims for a total new energy installed capacity of more than 1 million kW.

Altay's natural gifts have set the stage for its green energy revolution. Blessed with abundant solar, wind and hydropower resources, the region has wasted no time in seizing the day.

Today, clean energy generation capacity makes up more than 94 percent of Altay's total installed power capacity, which exceeds 5 million kW. In the first seven months of this year, green power accounted for 92.7 percent of the region's total electricity generation, with more than half of the generated green electricity being sent out to other places.

In addition, Altay is actively courting leading manufacturers of wind turbines, PV panels, and energy storage equipment to set up production bases locally. It continues to build industrial clusters for the manufacturing of clean energy equipment.

Clean energy powering tourism

Clean energy has boosted the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism sector in Altay.

As night falls, an internet-famous bridge at Qicai river resort in Burqin county, which has become a popular destination among travelers across China, comes alive with a dazzling light show powered by green electricity, attracting crowds of locals and tourists.

The TV series "To the Wonder" has put Jilin New Village, a filming location of the drama located in Altay's Habahe county, on the map, drawing droves of tourists. Employees of a branch of the State Grid Corporation of China in Habahe County have gone all out to ensure stable electricity for agritainment owners and merchants in the village.

Rich tourism resources also provide valuable opportunities for Altay to fully develop and utilize clean energy.

To meet the needs of tourist shuttles and sightseeing, there are plans to carry out demonstration applications of hydrogen fuel cell buses in scenic areas, completing the replacement of 300 shuttle buses in batches. The state grid is also stepping up construction of power facilities such as transportation, accommodation, parking, and communication base stations in scenic spots, providing support for enriching green power tourism scenarios.

Altay is also building "fully electric" scenic areas. In some scenic areas, all heating, cooking, and other facilities have been replaced with electrified equipment. Electric boats and shuttle buses within the scenic area have also been equipped with pure electric power systems.

Storing energy

Western regions generally have fewer inhabitants and heavy industrial users, so promoting the absorption of clean energy is a challenge. Only by "storing" and "using" wind and solar energy can we truly achieve unlimited "scenic beauty."

When green power is "generated," the primary concern is how to "store" it.

Using water as the storage medium, converting electrical energy into potential energy and vice versa, enables the storage and management of electrical energy. During off-peak hours, water is pumped to the upper reservoir consuming electrical energy, and during peak hours, water is released back to the lower reservoir to generate power. Pumped-storage hydropower has become an important way for Altay region to develop, store, and manage clean energy.

The Burqin Pumped Storage Power Station, which is under construction, will have an installed power generation capacity of 1.4 million kW.

The pumped storage power station can be considered a giant "power bank" that is loaded with green electricity during times of optimal wind and solar conditions and passes electricity to the power grid during times of high demand for electricity. Once operational, it will save 727,000 tonnes of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.19 million tonnes annually, thus becoming an important green energy base in Altay.

To make good use of green electricity, the Altay region will continue to expand the application of clean energy and support major enterprises, industrial parks and urban areas to increase green electricity consumption, said an official with Altay's development and reform commission.