Karamay means "black oil" in the Uygur language, but the city is doing its best to enact policies that move away from fossil fuels like the one its named after.
In recent years, Karamay city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been actively pursuing green transition and high-quality development, continuously developing new quality productive forces including green computing power.
In March 2024, Xinjiang's first intelligent computing center was officially put into operation in the Cloud Computing Industrial Park in Karamay. As one of the three major data centers operated by telecom giant China Mobile in Xinjiang, the center spans an area of 173 mu (about 11.53 hectares). It is designed to have 14,000 equipment cabinets, being the largest intelligent computing center in northwest China.
Park Daeil, a South Korean vlogger, visits the intelligent computing center of telecom giant China Mobile in Karamay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Zeng Shurou)
As a member of the delegation visiting Karamay during an activity titled "Remarkable Authors' Journey to Xinjiang," Park Daeil, a South Korean vlogger, was impressed by the center's data processing capabilities.
"South Korea is often praised for being a tech powerhouse, but I believe its strength lies in its fast internet. Due to certain limitations, a lot of companies in the country have their servers located abroad. After listening to an introduction of the center, I quickly understood the significance of inherent advantages. Xinjiang has immense potential in the field of intelligent computing. It has the capability to not only handle data within China but also provide services for all of Central Asia. I just learned that even Spanish companies are using Xinjiang's data services. That's truly remarkable," Park said.
A screen displays the network of computing power in Xinjiang. (People's Daily Online/Zeng Shurou)
Chen Yuxiao, deputy director of the economic and technological development bureau of the management committee of the Cloud Computing Industrial Park in Karamay, said that Xinjiang has inherent advantages in developing green computing power, including abundant green energy, which brings lower electricity costs, and relatively low average temperature throughout the year, which allows for half a year without the need for air conditioning to cool the data center, thus saving a significant amount of energy. The presence of graduates from Karamay Cloud University and other local educational institutions ensures a rich talent pool.
Additionally, serving as a strategic hub along the passage connecting Asia and Europe, Karamay has five ports in close proximity. This enables the industrial park to tap into business opportunities across the five Central Asian nations, presenting vast potential for international business expansion, Chen said.
Photo shows liquid cooling servers at the intelligent computing center of telecom giant China Mobile in Karamay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Zeng Shurou)
Thai social media influencer Apinya visits an oilfield in Karamay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
Thai social media influencer Apinya was deeply impressed by the green transformation of Karamay.
Apinya said that the future is the era of artificial intelligence, which requires strong data processing capabilities. Xinjiang not only possesses powerful intelligent computing but also reduces energy consumption in various ways, allowing people to feel the vitality of green technology and the greatness of scientific and technological workers. After visiting the extensive oil fields, she jokingly remarked, "They don't need factory girls like me here; it's all automated oil extraction and transportation."
