China is stepping up efforts to integrate renewable energy with environmental restoration in its northern deserts. A new national plan focused on using solar power to fight desertification has passed expert review and is now awaiting State Council approval.
Source: People’s Daily
China is stepping up efforts to integrate renewable energy with environmental restoration in its northern deserts. A new national plan focused on using solar power to fight desertification has passed expert review and is now awaiting State Council approval. The Photovoltaic Desertification Control Plan (2024–2030)—jointly developed by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), the National Development and Reform Commission, and the National Energy Administration—aims to harness the vast solar potential of the country’s desert, Gobi, and arid regions while restoring fragile ecosystems.
This initiative is part of the broader Three-North Shelterbelt Project, which is entering a new phase in 2024. The project will launch 287 key programs this year alone, targeting over 5.7 million hectares of degraded land.
To better coordinate solar and wind energy development with land restoration, the NFGA has formed a dedicated task force. The team is working on refining land-use policies, identifying suitable areas for development, and ensuring ecological protections remain a priority. “The plan lays out a roadmap for combining green energy with land restoration,” said Pan Hongxing, a senior official at the NFGA’s Department for Combating Desertification. “It includes development goals, pilot zones, integrated projects, and long-term support mechanisms.”
One of the plan’s highlights is the creation of a “Great Wall of Solar Power”—a network of solar projects stretching from central Inner Mongolia to western Xinjiang. These will form a coordinated system of key sites, development corridors, and wide-area installations designed to curb desert expansion.
To support large-scale solar development, authorities recently issued new guidelines on land use for photovoltaic projects. Using satellite and land survey data, officials have identified nearly 200,000 square kilometers of land across the region as suitable for low-impact, low-cost solar construction. According to Pan, this land has the potential to host up to 10 billion kilowatts of installed capacity.
The initiative aligns with China’s broader push for green, low-carbon development. This year’s Government Work Report emphasized the need for improved standards and policies to support clean industries and foster sustainable growth.
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