China is one of the world’s biggest polluters. The industrial boom that helped the Asian country become the world’s second largest economy is largely driven by cheap fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The cost of this has been huge. A study in 2016 found that coal burning was the major cause of deaths related to air pollution. Chinese cities have the most toxic air in the world.
But powering a population of more than a billion people and a robust industrial economy is not easy. Nonetheless, China is tapping into renewable energy as part of its energy security and climate action policy. The country wants to invest $360 billion on clean energy, and is planning to create 13 million jobs in renewable energy by 2020.
China is looking at wind, solar, and hydropower as alternative energy sources for its future and it’s one of the biggest investors in these sectors. But a new mega-project has been making airwaves in major news sites. The largest country in Asia is building a large floating solar farm over a former coal mine. The project is located in the small town of Anhui and is part of the continued efforts by the government to add clean energy to its grid.
The floating solar farm will generate 40 megawatts of electricity that can meet the energy needs of 15,000 homes. The plant is the biggest floating solar energy farm and it will work for the next 25 years. The farm was developed by Sungrow Power Supply and the location couldn’t be more significant. The farm is sitting on a lake that was once a huge coal mine. It’s a clear indication that China is willing to go green in its efforts to cut pollution and reliance on fossil fuels.
Besides, the idea of building a solar farm over a lake has its own additional benefits. Experts believe that floating solar farms protect agricultural land and ensure that the movement of wildlife is not constricted. The water on the lake can also be used to cool the solar panels, leading to more efficiency.
But this one will not be the largest floating solar farm for long. Another Chinese company called China Three Gorges Corp. has started working on another floating farm that will come online in May 2018. The plant will cost $151 million and is expected to produce 150 megawatts of electricity, enough energy to power 94,000 homes.
The decline of fossil fuel usage is expected to continue. Many countries are now looking into renewable energy sources and the technology in this industry has advanced considerably over the last few years. Sweden, for example, released in 2015 its plan to phase out the use of fossil fuels in the country by investing in solar, wind, and smart transport technologies. China, on the other hand, canceled a proposal to build 104 new coal plants as part of its clean energy initiative.
