China Plans 400 km Solar Wall to Fight Desertification

China has launched construction of a 400-kilometer solar corridor along the edge of the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia. The project, already dubbed the “Great Photovoltaic Wall” by local media, combines large-scale renewable energy generation with efforts to halt desert expansion and restore ecosystems.

The solar corridor reaches 400 km in length. The installation consists of a series of photovoltaic parks developed by different energy-sector players rather than one single plant. It lines the northern edge of the Kubuqi Desert with panels that can reach up to 5 km in width in places.

The full corridor targets 100 GW of installed capacity by 2030. Once complete it is expected to generate nearly 40 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, an output local media compare to roughly 9 percent of France’s annual electricity consumption in 2025.

Portions of the project are already operational. The Junma plant, one completed section, features panels arranged in the shape of a galloping horse and holds a Guinness World Record as the world’s largest photovoltaic image. Chinese media reported more than 10 GW of capacity installed across 47,000 hectares in 2025, with nearly 29 GW under construction at that time.

NASA imagery from the end of 2024 showed only about 5.4 GW installed at project scale. China added 93 GW of solar power nationwide in May 2025 alone, indicating the country can sustain the rapid deployment pace required to meet the 2030 target.

Solar panels serve dual purpose against desertification. More than 17 percent of China’s territory is affected by desertification. Photovoltaic installations in desert areas reduce direct solar radiation on the soil while generating electricity, supporting ecosystem restoration alongside the country’s energy transition.

Ultra-high-voltage transmission lines are under development to carry the generated power 1,300 km to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The project is led in part by China Energy Engineering Group Northern Construction Investment Shanxi Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd., which commissioned an earlier Kubuqi Desert plant in 2019.