China to Build World’s Largest Solar Plant

Although China’s per-capita carbon dioxide emissions are relatively low, their giant population makes them the number one country in the world when it comes to total carbon dioxide emissions.

Hopefully, the world’s largest solar plant will be the start of the ‘one-eighty’ that China needs to pull in order to meet their goal of generating 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2020. The plant, which will be built by the American firm, First Solar, will produce two gigawatts, which is more than 20 time more the output of the current largest solar farm and enough to power 3 million homes! Ironically, the soon to be second largest solar farm is being built by China, but is in Portugal.

It will take 5 years to build the giant farm. If the plant were built in the U.S., it would cost around $5-$7 Billion, but First Solar thinks they can do it cheaper in China. The technology will most likely be the latest and greatest in solar, thin film. The plant, which will be located in Inner Mongolia, will initially generate more than 10 times the current Chinese solar capacity.

The funding for the project will come from China’s $586 billion stimulus package released late last year. $70 billion of the package was specifically set aside for improvements to the electrical grid, which would include a solar farm like this one. Although China chose an American company to build the plant, the panels will most likely be operated, constructed, and possibly manufactured by the Chinese.

First Solar, a leader in the solar industry, started out in the business of manufacturing, but recently as large commercial projects have become more and more economically viable, has expanded into the creation of large solar farms. Recently, an agreement was set in place to provide California with 1,100 megawatts of electricity created from three large solar farms.

Just how much land will the solar plant cover? 25 square miles! -Russ Sparks/greenandsave