The first wind power plant in the southern part of China's northwestern Xinjiang Autonomous Region was connected to the grid at full capacity on Saturday. The event marks a significant milestone in the use of wind power in China's high mountain areas with an altitude of over 3,000 metres.
The project is located in Wuchha District of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, which is part of the Pamir Mountains. It is the westernmost wind power plant in China. The plant is equipped with 38 turbines installed at altitudes between 2 800 and 3 300 metres and has a total capacity of 200 000 kilowatts.
"The project can generate approximately 540 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 300,000 homes for a year. This production will save about 164,800 tonnes of coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 450,000 tonnes compared to traditional coal-fired power plants," said Zhang Shigang, chairman of the Xinjiang branch of Longyuan Power, which operates the project.
Challenging conditions in mountainous terrain
The power plant faces many challenges associated with installing turbines in mountainous terrain. "The main difference with working on flat ground is that the cranes cannot move around. After each installation, we have to dismantle the crane and use trucks to move it to the next location," explained Wang Tiande, the project's electrical installation manager.
Moving the cranes requires up to three bulldozers to pull the truck uphill. Each move takes approximately four days and requires more than thirty trips.
The project must also cope with extreme and rapidly changing weather conditions that are common at high altitudes. Wind speeds are constantly monitored to ensure the safety of traffic.
Environmental considerations
Due to the sparsely vegetated landscape and diverse wildlife, the operators place emphasis on environmental protection. "We have carefully selected the location of the turbines to avoid animal migration routes and created ecological buffer zones to ensure the normal life of wild animals," Zhang said.
Development of renewable energy sources
The autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu Kirgiz has ideal conditions for the development of renewable energy sources. Thanks to the long hours of sunshine, 1.84 million kilowatts of solar power capacity has been built here. The complex landscape, interwoven with seven major river systems, provides ample resources for hydropower, with an installed capacity of 1.09 million kilowatts.
Once the new wind farm is connected to the grid, the area's clean energy system is approximately 58 percent solar, 35 percent hydropower and seven percent wind. This shift towards renewables has enabled the region to achieve a 100% share of green electricity in the grid.
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