China’s Inner Mongolia Energy Group has launched a massive 1.6 GW solar power plant in the Ulan Buh Desert, Inner Mongolia — a component of the Great Solar Wall initiative. The facility spans approximately 2,973 hectares and represents an investment of CNY 6.97 billion (about USD 958 million).
What sets this solar farm apart is its dual-purpose approach. Underneath the rows of solar panels, workers are planting sand-fixing vegetation on a large scale. This effort directly supports China’s long-term strategy to combat desertification and prevent soil erosion — urgent environmental issues in the country’s northern regions.
This new plant is just one part of a much bigger picture. Inner Mongolia is rapidly becoming the heart of what many now call the “Great Solar Wall” — the largest concentration of photovoltaic installations in China. By 2030, this solar corridor is expected to reach 100 GW of capacity, stretching about 400 kilometers in length and averaging 5 kilometers in width.