Upon entering the Dabancheng District of Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, wind turbines become a common sight. Nestled against the backdrop of Bogda Peak, rows of these colossal generators stand side by side, with their vast blades rotating in the wind, creating a magnificent vista. In contrast to Dabancheng's wind turbines, the photovoltaic panels in Beishawo, Midong District, resemble a vast cerulean sea.

Urumqi is rich in wind and solar power resources. The new energy installation capacity in Dabancheng District in the south can reach 10 million kilowatts, while the Beishawo area in the north can achieve an installation capacity of 20 million kilowatts.

In recent years, Urumqi has made significant strides in developing its wind and solar energy sectors, continuously driving its momentum for green development. As of the end of July this year, the city has established a total installed capacity of 9.93 million kilowatts of renewable energy connected to the grid, marking an increase of nearly 1.1 times compared to the same period last year. During the first seven months of this year alone, 5.17 million kilowatts were newly connected to the grid, surpassing the cumulative total from previous years.

"Last year, the new energy installation capacity of Urumqi City exceeded that of coal-fired power. We have also achieved local production of new energy equipment, and the construction of green power sources, industries, and cities is accelerating." Liu Anpeng, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission of Urumqi City. He added that the region will further scale up the development and utilization of wind and solar resources, hastening the establishment of a new power system and promoting low-carbon, green industrial development.

Huadian Xinjiang Power Co. Ltd.'s one million kilowatt wind-solar project, located in Dabancheng District of Urumqi, is the first large-scale wind-solar power base project that was completed and connected to the grid as part of the first batch of massive wind and solar power projects in China's Gobi Desert and other arid regions. It comprises 800,000 kilowatts of wind power and 200,000 kilowatts of photovoltaics, along with two supporting energy storage stations. The project was connected to the grid last June and has generated a total of 1.68 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first seven months of this year.

"The installation of an advanced anemometer system allows the turbine to make necessary adjustments and responses before it comes into contact with the wind, facilitating efficient wind energy conversion," said Shi Xiaoliang, deputy general manager of Xinjiang Huadian Weihuliang New Energy Co Ltd., the operating enterprise of the project. During the construction phase, energy-saving and low-carbon technologies were extensively utilized to achieve comprehensive cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.

In its development of wind and solar energy, Urumqi has actively promoted the application of new technologies and equipment. Through the transformation and upgrading of wind farms, denser arrangement of turbines, and the implementation of integrated wind-solar development models, the intensity of development per unit area has increased significantly, thereby greatly enhancing resource utilization efficiency and electricity generation levels in the region.

To further expand the scale of green electricity application, Urumqi has attracted companies such as Xinjiang Shengrui Guoyuan New Energy Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Shijiyun New Energy Co., Ltd. to establish lithium battery cell projects for energy storage and semiconductor diamond projects, respectively. According to Yilihamjan Tuniyaz, deputy director of the Industry and Information Technology Bureau of Urumqi City, significant progress has been made in facilitating the coordinated development of new energy and related industries, particularly in the green transformation of key energy-consuming sectors such as industry and transportation.

The development of wind and solar resources has also effectively driven the growth of the new energy equipment manufacturing industry. Goldwind Science & Technology Co. Ltd., headquartered in Urumqi, Xinjiang, has expanded its service from Xinjiang to the global market. "Goldwind's total output value in Xinjiang has reached 225.3 billion yuan (about 31.68 billion U.S. dollars), with an installed capacity of 21.67 million kilowatts in the region," said Fang Zhong, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Goldwind Technology Co., Ltd. To strengthen and complement the industrial chain, 13 related enterprises have settled in Xinjiang, and there are ongoing efforts to introduce manufacturing enterprises for raw materials, casting, structural components, and gearboxes.

(Chinese Source: Economic Daily, Reporter Qiao Wenhui)