Workers install solar panels in rural Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. YUAN HONGYAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Ningxia, leveraging its abundant natural resources, is actively promoting the transition to green and low-carbon energy while striving to construct the country's first comprehensive new energy demonstration zone, a deputy to the National People's Congress said during the two sessions.

Chen Chunping, also executive vice-chairman of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, outlined plans for the next three years. The region aims to add 16 million kilowatts of new energy to the grid yearly, ensuring that for every two kilowatts of electricity generated, one will be from green sources.

Chen said this year will see the completion and operation of the country's first Ningxia-Hunan province direct current grid project primarily focused on transmitting green energy, enabling a capacity to transmit 20 million kW of electricity to other regions.

Chen Chunping [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/chinadaily.com.cn]

Currently, Ningxia boasts 41.3 million kW of installed new energy capacity, accounting for 55 percent of the total, with a further potential of 160 million kW to be developed. Moreover, Ningxia has maintained a new energy utilization rate of over 96 percent for several consecutive years, placing it at the forefront nationally.

Chen emphasized the region's integrated approach to advancing new energy development, while driving industrial transformation, upgrading and low-carbon development.

"Furthermore, the acceleration of specialized industrial green energy parks will facilitate the synergistic development of new energy with other sectors such as modern coal chemical industry, big data and computing power. This approach will lead to industrial decarbonization, pollution reduction, green development, and enhanced efficiency in production," he said.

Regarding ecological environmental protection, Chen highlighted the progress at the photovoltaic stations built in the Gobi desert and other desolate landscapes, where vegetation coverage has increased from under 5 percent to 25 percent, exceeding 40 percent in some areas.

"Looking ahead, Ningxia will continue to advance the construction of a national comprehensive new energy demonstration zone, accelerating the establishment of the new energy system and new type of power system.

"Meanwhile, the region will deepen the transformation of energy consumption, vigorously promoting the use of green electricity in industries such as manufacturing, transportation, construction, agriculture, rural areas, and new infrastructure," Chen said.

Source: By Liu Yukun, chinadaily.com, Mar 11, 2025 [https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/11/WS67cff484a310c240449da2b8.html]