On the morning of December 10, 2024, the “Planning and Ecological Design of Solar PV Power Stations in Desert Areas” side event was held at the “China Pavilion” of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh. The side event was hosted by the Center for Energy Transition and Social Development of the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University, and co-hosted by the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, China National Sand Control and Desert Industry Society, Institute for Carbon Neutrality, Tsinghua University, Ningxia Longyuan New Energy Co., Ltd. The side event was hosted by Jiang Hao, Chief Technical Expert and Director of the International Business Department of the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, and Dr. He Jijiang, Executive Deputy Director of the Center for Energy Transition and Social Development of the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University.
The purpose of this side event is to discuss in depth the latest research results, practical experience and innovative ideas on photovoltaic and land desertification control, promote the application of new energy in global land desertification control, and release an initiative on photovoltaic power stations to promote desertification control.
Mr. Pradeep Monga, former Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, delivered a video speech. Mr. Monga first reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the UNCCD Secretariat and the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University on “Renewable Energy for Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods”, and the close cooperation in promoting renewable energy transformation. He then proposed the promotion and application of the “Land-PV+” model in China to help China’s dual carbon goals and the global renewable energy transformation. Finally, he thanked Mayor Ma Honghai of Zhongwei City, Ningxia for inviting him to serve as an advisor to the Photovoltaic Ecological Collaborative Innovation Demonstration Base with the Tengger Desert 6GW Photovoltaic Power Station Project as the core. Mr. Monga emphasized that in terms of the “Land-PV+” model and renewable energy development, “going it alone will go fast; working together will go far.”
In his speech, Guo Yufu, an official of the UNCCD Science and Technology Committee, emphasized the key synergy of multi-sectoral cooperation, innovation and corporate participation in combating desertification and achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). By combining land degradation with the development of wind and photovoltaic energy projects, China has demonstrated how the construction of solar power stations can actively promote desertification prevention and control. He pointed out that Tsinghua University, together with other universities, research institutions and enterprises, launched the REPER cooperation platform, which has made important contributions to the scientific and policy research on integrating photovoltaics and ecosystems.
Pan Bing, the Senior Inspector of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, addressed the guests and audience on the spot, pointing out that China was the first in the world to achieve “zero growth” in land degradation and “double reduction” in desertification and sandy land, and successfully embarked on a road of sand control and sand control with Chinese characteristics, becoming the country with the largest contribution to greening in the world, and providing a Chinese solution and Chinese model for achieving zero growth in global land degradation. China’s zero growth in land degradation is combined with the construction of wind power and photovoltaics, and the construction of photovoltaic power stations has made important contributions to promoting desert control. Finally, he emphasized that cross-departmental communication and collaboration between local governments, large energy companies, and university research institutions, including a large amount of scientific research, is crucial to the synergy between photovoltaics and ecology.
Ma Honghai, Mayor of Zhongwei City delivered a video speech. Mayor Ma first shared that Zhongwei City, as one of the areas most seriously affected by wind and sand in China, has created the “Zhongwei Shapotou” sand control model represented by the five belts in one after more than 70 years of continuous exploration. Secondly, Mayor Ma pointed out that Zhongwei has thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, developed desert tourism, desert agriculture, and desert photovoltaic industries, and gradually embarked on a new development path with mutually beneficial economic, ecological, and social benefits, showing the world the “Chinese solution” and “Zhongwei model” for preventing and controlling desertification. Finally, Mayor Ma announced that Zhongwei will build a photovoltaic ecological collaborative innovation demonstration base based on the 6GW photovoltaic power station project in the Tengger Desert to carry out scientific research, technical demonstration, and popular science education. Mayor Ma extended a solemn invitation to representatives from all over the world who came to attend the conference, and welcomed everyone to visit Zhongwei for guidance.
In his speech, Yang Wenbin, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of China National Sand Control and Desert Industry Society, shared the continuous exploration of the China Desert Control and Sand Industry Society in the field of photovoltaic sand control, including the scientific investigation of wind and photovoltaic ecological protection and restoration technology in six northwestern provinces and regions jointly carried out with Tsinghua University and other institutions. He promised that the China Desert Control and Sand Industry Society will actively serve member companies and local governments, and continuously bring forth new achievements in China’s photovoltaic sand control.
At the launching ceremony of the Photovoltaic Ecological Collaborative Innovation Demonstration Base in Zhongwei City, 10 experts from Tsinghua University, China Desert Control and Sand Industry Society, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units received the appointment letter of the expert committee of the Photovoltaic Ecological Collaborative Innovation Demonstration Base in Zhongwei City.
Mr. Wang Weiying of the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute delivered a keynote speech on “The Collaborative Development of New Energy and Ecology in China’s Desert Areas”. He focused on the collaborative development of new energy and ecology, including collaborative development models, innovative technologies, and collaborative development effects. Finally, he pointed out that the “agricultural-photovoltaic complementarity”, “forest-photovoltaic complementarity” and “pastoral-photovoltaic complementarity” models of new energy bases in China’s desert areas have formed a virtuous cycle of industry and ecology. This comprehensive sand control plan has high economic and social benefits.
Director Liu Tianping of the Ningxia Zhongwei Forestry and Grassland Bureau, gave a video speech on the theme of “Innovation of Desertification Control Model: From the Five-Belt Integrated Sand Control Model to Photovoltaic Sand Control Innovation”. Director Liu introduced the fruitful achievements and valuable experience of Zhongwei City in the field of sand control in the past half century. He pointed out that Zhongwei City will make efforts in three aspects: accelerating the promotion of engineering governance, innovating photovoltaic sand control technology, and strengthening foreign exchanges and cooperation, actively carry out desertification prevention and control work with the “Three Norths” project construction as the main body, and contribute Chinese wisdom, Ningxia experience and Zhongwei strength to the global desertification environmental governance.
Chairman Ai Jincai of Longyuan Ningxia Company introduced the photovoltaic sand control design and ecological benefits of Longyuan Ningxia Company in the Tengger Desert Photovoltaic Base, and shared with everyone the development of the base in photovoltaic sand control technology, industrial integration and ecological improvement through video.
Dr. Yu Yi of Inner Mongolia Yixiang Jiecheng Technology Co., Ltd. delivered a keynote speech on “A Green and Low-carbon Model for Large-scale Prevention and Control of Desertification”. Dr. Yu gave a detailed introduction to the background of large-scale sand control and sand control, green and low-carbon sand control model, biodegradable sand barrier sand control technology, near-natural vegetation restoration, industrial sand control, large-scale benefits and application prospects. Finally, Dr. Yu also showed a vivid example of large-scale sand control and sand control through a video.
Mr. Jiang Hao, Chief Technical Expert, Director of International Marketing Department, China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, delivered a keynote speech on “Energy Transition in China and China-Arab Renewable Energy Cooperation”. Director Jiang first analyzed the current status of China’s renewable energy development. Then he gave a detailed introduction to the background of China-Arab renewable energy cooperation, the development of renewable energy in Arab countries, the development of renewable energy in North Africa, and the key work of cooperation. Finally, Director Jiang gave a prospect for China-Arab renewable energy cooperation.
Mr. Chen Siyu, Executive Director of Overseas Services, IT Electronics Eleventh Design & Research Institute Scientific and Technological Engineering Corporation, introduced the “Introduction of the Namangan 500MW Photovoltaic Power Station Project in Uzbekistan”. Mr. Chen Siyu introduced the performance of Eleven Technology’s new energy projects and photovoltaic trees, and finally focused on the 500MW photovoltaic power station project in the Republic of Uzbekistan, including the basic situation of the project, ecological construction, and photovoltaic panda salons.
Mr. Kan Cheng, Chief Bid Director of POWERCHINA Saudi Arabia, gave a report on “Practical Experience in Overseas Photovoltaic Project Construction”, showing the audience the main precautions, ecological protection, technological development and practical results in the construction of overseas photovoltaic projects.
Finally, Longyuan Power and the Energy Transformation and Social Development Research Center of the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University jointly announced that Zhongwei Longyuan Power Tengger Desert Photovoltaic Base will become a research partner of Tsinghua University-UNCCD REPER Cooperation Platform.
This side event was held under the mechanism of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The seminar attracted kinds of audiences including Chinese governments, universities and research institutions, experts and scholars, and corporate representatives to exchange views on the Planning and Ecological Design of Solar PV Power Stations in Desert Areas. In the future, the synergy between photovoltaics and ecology will be promoted to achieve multiple empowerment of ecology, economy, and society in desert areas through photovoltaics, and to help China’s energy transformation and global sustainable development.
