Suntech Power Holdings Co., one of the world’s leading solar power companies, announced a few days ago their plans of developing a 10 MW power plant in the Tibetan Plateau.
According to the company, the solar power plant will produce clean energy for thousands of residents of the Tibetan Plateau (Chek Kang village in the Sangri County, Shannan Prefecture). Measuring around 4,000 meters above sea level, this project is considered to become one of the highest altitude solar power plants on Earth.
When the Tibetan power plant will be finished (by the middle of 2011), it will be able to generate about 20,000 MWh of renewable electricity per year. This way, the plant will help the region’s sustainable economy.
Mountainous regions such as Tibet have relied heavily on hydroelectric resources for decades. However, shifting weather patterns in the last few years have reduced water volumes in hydroelectric reservoirs and caused numerous droughts. The new 10MW solar power plant is expected to solve these problems.
“With intense sunlight and cool temperatures, Tibet is extremely well-suited for the utilization of advanced photovoltaic technology. We’re proud to invest in preserving the region’s fragile ecosystem by providing an economically-viable and sustainable solution for electricity generation. From the desert sands of Arizona to the peaks of the Himalayas, anyone can look up and harness nature’s cleanest and most abundant energy resource,” said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s Founder, Chairman and CEO.
