World's Largest Hybrid Hydro-Solar Plant: Kela Power Station
- China has started the world's largest hydro-solar power project in Sichuan province: the 10,000 MW Kela Photovoltaic Power Station, aiming to provide clean energy to the Sichuan-Chongqing region. China is pushing ahead with its clean energy plans, developing 100 GW of wind and solar energy in Western China and manufacturing equipment locally.
China has started the world's largest hydro-solar power project in Sichuan province, with the connection of the 10,000 MW Kela Photovoltaic Power Station Phase 1 to the state grid. The project aims to provide clean power to the Sichuan-Chongqing region during the peak summer season. It is part of China's plan to build a 100 GW clean energy complex on the Yalong River basin, comprising 30 GW of hydro power, 60 GW of wind and solar energy, and 10 GW of pumped storage systems. The Kela project's first phase, located at an altitude of 4600 meters, is expected to generate over 2 billion kWh of electricity annually.
While the Kela project is significant, China has even larger projects in the pipeline, including the China desert project with 100 GW of wind and solar power in Western China. The country sees opportunities in the North and Northwest regions due to their non-agricultural land and favorable weather conditions. However, the challenge lies in transporting the energy to coastal regions with high demand. To overcome this, China plans to further develop these regions and manufacture clean energy equipment locally as part of its clean energy push.
What Challenges Does China Face in Its Clean Energy Push?
Challenges Facing China in Its Clean Energy Push:
- Transporting energy to coastal regions with high demand
- Developing the North and Northwest regions and manufacturing clean energy equipment locally
- High construction and operation costs
- Limited access to financing and resources
- Lack of unified policy standards
- Limited technology and expertise for operating renewable energy systems