Science and Technology Daily:

We know that Gansu has rich solar and wind energy resources. How will Gansu develop the new energy industry? And how does Gansu plan to optimize the development and utilization of these resources? Thank you.

Ren Zhenhe:

Thank you for your questions. New energy is both an advantage and a characteristic of Gansu. I would like to invite my colleague Mr. Cheng to answer these questions.

Cheng Xiaobo:

As the reporter just mentioned, Gansu is indeed a major province in terms of wind and solar resources. Our technologically exploitable development in solar and wind energy both ranks among the top in the country. Especially since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we have seized various policy opportunities for national green transformation, riding on the back of rich clean energy resources to soar to new heights, and promoting the vigorous development of the new energy industry. Currently, the total installed capacity of new energy in the province exceeds 56 million kilowatts, accounting for more than 60% of the total installed capacity of electricity, a proportion ranking second in the country. The regions receiving power from Gansu have already expanded to 25 provinces, with Gansu exporting more than 52 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, nearly half of which is new energy. The Hexi Corridor was once a place of desolation and oblivion. Now it is thriving, undergoing transformation, and showing great potential for further developing wind and solar energy. 

Gansu has experienced rapid development in the new energy sector, and still has huge potential to realize in the future. Next, we will focus on building an important national base for new energy and new energy equipment manufacturing, transforming the province from a large producer of wind and solar energy to a strong competitor in the sector. We will continue to make efforts in four key areas:

First, to expand the scale. We will focus on building large bases in sandy, rocky and barren areas, accelerating the construction of various wind and solar power projects at all levels. We aim to exceed 80 million kilowatts of installed new energy capacity by the end of next year, when the 14th Five-Year Plan period will complete, as well as 130 million kilowatts by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. What does 130 million kilowatts mean? It's equivalent to six Three Gorges Dam.

Second, to open channels. With a large scale and increased electricity generation, building outbound transmission channels has become a key issue. Our first channel is the Jiuquan-Hunan ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) project, completed in 2017. The second channel is the Gansu-Shandong project, which started construction last year and will be completed next year. The third channel is the Gansu-Zhejiang project. With preparatory work already completed, construction is expected to be approved soon. The fourth channel is the Gansu-Sichuan project, which is also expected to start construction by the end of this year. By the midterm of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, these four UHV lines will all be operational, allowing Gansu to send at least 160 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity nationwide, which is equivalent to the current annual electricity consumption of the entire province.

Third, to develop industries. We will focus on building an industrial development structure, centering around Jiuquan and Jiayuguan, coordinating Zhangye, Wuwei, and Jinchang, and boosting cooperation among cities and prefectures east of Yellow River, to leverage multiple layers of driving forces. A 100-billion-yuan industrial cluster will be created to enable coordinated development of wind and solar power industrial chain and related industries. 

Fourth, to promote consumption. We need to make full and effective use of locally generated electricity within the province itself, which requires vigorously developing local industries as well as developing peak-shaving power sources and new ways of storing energy, particularly integrating the power grid with the computing network. We aim to build a national hub for the integrated computing power network, namely the Qingyang data center in Gansu, to create a national computing power assurance base. In short, we will not only develop the new energy industry to convert resource advantages into economic advantages but will also ensure that the wind and solar energy of Gansu illuminates thousands of households, contributing more to the security of the national energy supply and demonstrating Gansu's commitment. Thank you.