China engineering ready to export desert mega-bases to the world

China’s top engineering firm for energy projects says it’s ready to pitch the concept of desert mega-bases to other countries looking for integrated power solutions. 

Giant wind and solar hubs, which store energy in batteries or mountain reservoirs and use coal as a backup, are a key part of China’s success in accelerating its buildout of clean energy. The country began mooting such projects in 2020, and a year later President Xi Jinping launched an initiative to add 455 gigawatts of renewables via massive developments in the country’s interior by the end of the decade.

China Energy Engineering Corp. has worked on integrated projects in places like Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Guangxi, and is now pitching similar developments to Belt and Road countries and other foreign markets, Chairman Song Hailiang said during a panel discussion at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan on Wednesday. 

“We can offer a Chinese solution, integrating generation, grid and storage,” Song said. “Other countries can benefit from our experience, and we’re ready to share.”