On the vast Gobi Desert of Xinjiang, a clean energy revolution is quietly unfolding. Recently, the candidates for the EPC general contracting project of the 2 million kilowatt photovoltaic project in Midong District, Urumqi City were officially announced. CEEC Gansu Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. ranked first with a bidding price of 5.044 billion yuan and will lead the construction of this clean energy benchmark project with a total investment of over 10 billion yuan. This marks one of the world's largest single photovoltaic power generation projects about to emerge on the land of Xinjiang, writing a significant chapter in China's energy structure transformation.

Global level super photovoltaic power plants make a stunning debut

This project is located in Midong District, Urumqi City, with an unprecedented construction scale. The installed capacity on the DC side of the project is as high as 2600 megawatts (2.6 million kilowatts), and the rated capacity on the AC side is 2000 megawatts (2 million kilowatts), making it one of the largest single photovoltaic power generation projects in the world. To support such a huge power output, the project will build two 220 kV booster stations and construct a 220 kV transmission line with a total length of about 80 kilometers, which will be connected to the main power grid in Xinjiang and continuously deliver clean electricity to thousands of households.

The project adopts a comprehensive planning and phased construction mode, with a very tight construction pace. One phase of the project is planned to start preliminary work in February 2026, and the main project will officially commence by the end of March. It is required to achieve the first batch of units connected to the grid for power generation by October 31, 2026, and full capacity grid connection by November 30, with an overall construction period of only 270 calendar days. This efficient construction speed reflects the urgent expectation for the project to be put into operation and generate clean electricity as soon as possible, and also demonstrates the strong strength of China's engineering construction capabilities.

Gansu Institute stands out

This bidding has attracted top domestic power design institutes to participate in the competition, which is extremely fierce. According to the announcement of the winning bidders, the top three units are all strong national teams in the field of new energy EPC: CEEC Gansu Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. ranked first with 5.044 billion yuan; China Power Construction Group Qinghai Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. quoted 5.079 billion yuan; Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. quoted 5.014 billion yuan. The three quotations are very close, and the competition has reached a white hot level.

In the end, CEEC Gansu Institute stood out with its comprehensive technical solutions, project management capabilities, and rich experience in building super large photovoltaic bases in the northwest region. As a core member of China Energy Construction Group, the institute has successfully led the construction of multiple million kilowatt level new energy bases in China, and its strong strength is the key to winning recognition for this project. This winning bid not only affirms the technical strength of Gansu Institute, but also recognizes the overall level of China's photovoltaic industry.

Leading the construction of the Shage Wilderness National Base

The 2 million kilowatt photovoltaic project in Midong District is not only a key energy project in Urumqi, but also an important component of the national strategy to promote the planning and construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases (Shage Desert Base) in desert, Gobi, and desert areas. After the project is fully completed, the average annual power generation is expected to reach billions of kilowatt hours, saving over a million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by millions of tons each year. This is of great significance for optimizing Xinjiang's energy structure, ensuring power supply, and promoting energy conservation and emission reduction.

This project will effectively promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy in Urumqi and even the whole Xinjiang region, and will become another world-class engineering model showcasing China's leading technology and engineering construction capabilities in the photovoltaic industry. During the critical period of peak summer season, this project will provide strong support for power supply in Xinjiang and even the whole country, and contribute important strength to China's goal of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.Editor/Yang Meiling