Xinjiang forges ahead with renewable energy

Sprawling solar and wind farms provide power for local development projects

With China racing to curb its reliance on fossil fuels, a valuable addition to the nation's renewable energy mix lies on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, the largest arid area in the country.

Endless arrays of solar panels sprawl across a sun-scorched wasteland of rubble and fine dust in Lop county, an oasis town in a southern area of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

They are set at a fixed angle of 37 degrees, which electrical engineers believe allows the optimum capture of sunlight.

Towers carrying ultra-high-voltage transmission cables loom in the distance at this 6,600-hectare photovoltaic industrial park.

In February, a solar power project with an installed capacity of 200 megawatts was completed at the park and connected to the power grid.

Cao Longjing, a project manager for State Power Investment Corp, or SPIC, who is overseeing construction of the 200-MW project, stood beside one of the solar panels squinting in the sunlight and dust, his face tanned by long exposure to the elements.