The first phase of the Huaneng Nagqu Solar Power Station was officially connected to the grid on December 24 in Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
From XINHUA
The first phase of the Huaneng Nagqu Solar Power Station was officially connected to the grid on December 24 in Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Situated at an altitude exceeding 5,240 meters, this project is now the highest-altitude solar power facility in the world. It is a major part of the Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower, Wind, and Solar Integrated Clean Energy Base, located in a high-altitude, uninhabited region of Deqin County.
The first phase of the project spans 1,900 acres—equivalent to 177 standard football fields—and includes 32 solar array zones built at elevations ranging from 4,800 to 5,300 meters. The installation features around 200,000 bifacial, double-glass photovoltaic panels, with a total installed capacity of 100 megawatts. Qiao Jifeng, Project Manager of the Huaneng Nagqu Solar Power Station, explained that the region's challenging terrain posed significant construction hurdles. The moraine gravel accumulation in this area is particularly difficult, with hard, uneven rocks that made traditional construction methods unfeasible. Large rocks were first broken into smaller pieces using hydraulic breakers, and the gaps between stones were filled with gravel to create a stable, level foundation.
Upon completion, the first phase of the solar station is expected to generate 158 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 52,000 households for a year. The clean energy produced each year will reduce coal consumption by 47,400 tons and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 124,000 tons, contributing significantly to China's green energy transition and supporting the nation's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.