TIANJIN, 11th July, 2023 (WAM) — Electricity generated from the world’s largest solar plant, which is situated within a salt farm and boasts a remarkable generating capacity of 1 million kilowatts, was successfully connected to the grid on Saturday in Tianjin Municipality, located in North China. According to state news agency (Xinhua), the solar power plant simultaneously utilises a single land parcel for three functions: harnessing solar energy through photovoltaic cells, utilizing sunlight to produce salt, and engaging in aquaculture activities. The distance between the arrays of solar panels is extended to 14 metres, almost twice the length at normal solar plant, to allow in sunshine for salt making. The panels are tilted at 17 degrees, rather than around 40 degrees at normal solar plants, which could provide maximum sunshine to the water surface on a yearly basis. The solar panels were also manufactured in a way that their backs are also capable of absorbing solar energy, improving its power-generating efficiency by 5-7 percent. The solar plant is built on top of a salt farm occupying an area of 1,333.33 hectares and has the total capacity to generate 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours worth of electricity a year. At full capacity, the project is expected to save 500,000 tons of standard coal each year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.25 million tons, according to the report. Multiple localities in China have been the tapping combined industrial model centered around solar. China’s investment in the new energy sector hit 9.2 trillion yuan ($1.36 trillion) in 2022, 37 percent of which flowed into wind and solar, according to a January report from Chinese consultant firm CINNO Research.
Source: Emirates News Agency