China: China is breaking records in solar energy with the construction of its “Great Wall of Energy” in the Kubuqi Desert. The installation will include 8 million solar panels and deliver 100 GW of power, transforming the country’s energy landscape and setting new global benchmarks.
The nation’s solar journey began in 1983 with a 10-kW station in Gansu. Since then, China has steadily grown into a global leader in solar energy. According to the Global Energy Monitor, the country added 278 GW in 2024, nearly 200 GW in the first five months of 2025, and is set to surpass 1 TW of installed solar capacity by mid-2025.
The Solar Great Wall will stretch almost 133 km long and 25 km wide. While China has other large desert projects, like the 455 GW Shagehuang installation, this project is special because it produces enough electricity to meet Beijing’s demand.
Beyond energy production, the project will create around 50,000 jobs by 2030 and help combat desertification along the Yellow River. It will provide shade and reduce evaporation over 27 million hectares, serve as windbreaks to prevent soil erosion, and include 2,400 hectares of new crops. The “Sea of Death” desert will thus be transformed into a major energy and ecological hub.
A new transmission line will carry 48 billion kWh to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region annually, while another 7,000 MW project is planned for 2026, continuing China’s rapid renewable growth.
Source: Energies Media
