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World’s ‘Highest’ Altitude Solar Power Plant Online

Anu Bhambhani
  • Huadian Group has energized a 50 MW solar power plant, 5,100 m above sea level in China
  • Accompanied by a 40 MWh storage facility, it can generate 90 million kWh/year annually
  • Jinneng Holding has also started constructing one among the 12 solar and wind energy projects China has planned 
  • Located in an old coal mine region, it has 6 GW of solar and wind and 3.4 GWh energy storage capacity

China Huadian Group has commissioned a 50 MW solar power plant calling it the world's 'highest' altitude PV project, located at an altitude of 5,100 meters above sea level, 'equivalent' to the altitude of Mount Everest Base Camp.

The Huadian Tibet Caipeng PV Project in Nedong district of Shannan City prefecture in Xizhang province also has a 40 MWh energy storage facility. The site enjoys abundant sunshine throughout the year, according to the developer.

It can generate enough clean electricity to suffice close to 4,000 households/day with its 90 million kWh/year power production, helping displace the use of coal-fired boilers, Huadian added.

Elsewhere in China, Jinneng Holding Group has started the construction of a 6 GW solar and wind energy facility in Shanxi province, with a 3.4 GWh of energy storage capacity. The project is coming up on a site that was previously a coal mining location.

To be built for an investment of RMB 55 billion ($7.7 billion), the project is expected to generate 27 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region annually on completion, which is scheduled for 2025-end.

This project is one among the 12 large-scale wind and solar energy bases planned by China to advance the country's carbon neutrality goals.