The Qitai in October, the wind on the Gobi Desert is getting harder day by day. On this barren beach that is often swept by strong winds, machinery enters and foundation piles are placed. A wind power project with a total investment of 8.37 billion yuan has officially pressed the start button - the largest single investment wind power project of Xinjiang Energy Group, from the drawings to the site.

A windmill stands tall in the Gobi Desert

The project is constructed by Qitai County Nengtou Hechuang Power Generation Co., Ltd. and located in Qitai County, Changji Prefecture. It is a large-scale clean energy base in northern Xinjiang and a key benchmark project for new energy in the autonomous region. The total installed capacity of the project is 2500MW, which is divided into three sub projects: 1 million kW, 750000 kW, and 750000 kW. It is planned to use a single 10MW wind turbine generator set, and to build three 220kV collection and boosting stations. The on-site roads, wind turbine foundations, collection lines, and transmission projects will be constructed simultaneously. The funds come from self financing by the enterprise and bank project financing, with a planned total construction period of 36 months. After completion, the annual average power generation will be 4.36 billion kilowatt hours, saving 1.32 million tons of standard coal annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions accordingly.

Take the lead in equipment procurement

From the initial procedures to on-site construction, the nodes are interconnected. In May 2026, three sub projects obtained investment registration certificates from the Changji Prefecture Development and Reform Commission; In August, the bidding for the procurement of transmission planning services was launched, and China Energy Engineering Group Xinjiang Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. won the bid with 2.18 million yuan to undertake the planning of transmission schemes and the design of access systems; In September, the centralized procurement of complete sets of wind turbine equipment was launched in batches; In October, the project held a groundbreaking ceremony. The first batch of 1000MW procurement is divided into two sections, with a single section of 500MW. The procurement includes 10MW wind turbines, tower tubes, flanges, anchor bolt components, etc. The bidding number is 0634-264XZ1QH0297, and it is currently in the bidding and opening stage. The supply cycle covers the end of 2026 to August 2027; The second batch corresponds to a remaining 1.5GW, with tender number 0634-264XZ1QH0305, and is currently in the bidding announcement stage. The comprehensive consultation on feasibility study, geological exploration, environmental impact assessment, water conservation, safety pre evaluation, and other related topics will be promoted simultaneously. Subsequently, bidding will continue for sections such as wind turbine foundation and on-site road construction, booster station civil construction and electrical installation, collection and transmission line construction, full process supervision, and cost tracking audit.

Green power transmission benefits northern Xinjiang

The on-site wind resource review and wind turbine location survey have been completed, and the wind turbine foundation layout plan is continuously optimized. The construction access road is excavated in sections; The site selection and overall layout design of three 220kV collection stations have been completed, and the preparation plan for the access system scheme is scheduled to be completed and approved before November 30, 2026; Special procedures for land use, forest land, etc. will continue to be processed. Next, we will proceed with equipment procurement signing, wind turbine foundation pouring, unit hoisting, construction of booster stations and collection lines, subsystem debugging, and ultimately grid connection in batches and full capacity production.keywords:New energy information network

For Northern Xinjiang, this is not just a matter of assembling machine numbers. The large-scale development of 2.5GW will turn Gobi Changfeng into stable green electricity, and three collection stations will connect new energy collection and transmission channels; The large-scale procurement and construction of wind turbines will drive the upstream and downstream industrial chains of wind turbine manufacturing, civil engineering, and power transmission and transformation, and drive local employment; The continuous replacement of fossil fuels with clean electricity will also increase the proportion of renewable energy in Changji Prefecture, providing tangible support for the construction of a new power system dominated by wind and solar power and the implementation of dual carbon goals.Editor/Yang Meiling