"In the past, people used to feel anxious when talking about the desert. But now, the desert has become a desirable destination for many, and turned into our golden bank," Wang said.

The city has also coordinated the development of photovoltaic power generation and ecological restoration.

Zhongwei is not alone in promoting the development of the clean energy industry by utilizing the advantages of the desert in Northwest China.

The city of Wuwei in Gansu province, located near the Tengger Desert, was once plagued by sand hazards. After success in its sand control work, the local government seized the advantages of long sunshine and abundant solar energy to develop a local photovoltaic industry.

In October 2021, Wuwei implemented a 500,000-kilowatt photovoltaic demonstration project in the desert. "We have made technological innovations in traditional photovoltaic power generation, extending the span of photovoltaic panels to 33 meters and increasing the height to 4 meters. By using double-sided photovoltaic panels, power generation efficiency has increased by 8 percent to 15 percent," said Yin Heping, who works at Elion Resources Group, a leading green industry enterprise in China.

Li Zhenhai, deputy director of the development and reform commission of Wuwei, said that each year, the project can save 270,000 metric tons of standard coal, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 710,000 tons, and treat over 1,333 hectares of desert.

Xinhua