Shilin solar plant begins operation
The first phase of the 66-megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant in Shilin, about 70 kilometers outside of Kunming, went online and began feeding the electrical grid at the beginning of the month, according to Xinhua Net.

The 9.1 billion yuan project is being jointly financed by Yunnan Power Investment New Energy Development Company and the Chinese photovoltaic manufacturing giant Suntech Power Holdings. It will eventually include 100 megawatts of experimental and demonstration solar capacity in addition to the 66 megawatts of grid-connected capacity.

The Chinese solar energy industry has benefited from government subsidies for utility-grade solar energy projects and Yunnan's high elevation and relatively clear skies make it an attractive location for solar energy projects.

For now, the Shilin plant is the largest photovoltaic solar project in China, and perhaps Asia. It will, however, eventually be dwarfed by a planned 360-megawatt project north of Kunming and a planned one-gigawatt photovoltaic installation in Qinghai province's Qaidam basin.

Although it remains unclear whether the planned capacity of the Qaidam project will ever be reached, the first 30-megawatt phase of that project is already under construction.

As a point of comparison, a large coal-fired power plant might have a generation capacity in the range of 500 megawatts to one gigawatt.

Yunnan foreign trade dropped in 2009
Official statistics for Yunnan's trade with foreign countries were released last week. Yunnan's foreign trade amounted to US$8 billion for 2009, with US$4.5 billion in exports and US$3.5 billion in imports. Overall trade fell by almost 16.5 percent compared to 2008, with a 9.5 percent decrease in exports and an almost 24 percent drop in imports.

Although the drop seems rather precipitous, Hou Liqun, Secretary General of the Yunnan Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment was quoted in the Spring City Evening Post as saying that, "the data is better than many people expected."

Hou also expressed a belief that Yunnan's foreign trade will increase over the course of 2010, partly following in the wake of the global financial recovery, and partly on the basis of opportunities inherent in the new ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Yunnanese among earthquake victims
Three peacekeepers from Yunnan were among the eight Chinese nationals that were killed in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas last week.

All eight died in the collapse of the Port-au-Prince building housing the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, where they were attending a meeting.

Their bodies were returned to Beijing on Monday and family members were expected to attend a memorial service today.

Kunming to Sydney or Melbourne via Guangzhou
Aussies living in Kunming might be interested to learn that China Southern Airlines recently announced new routes connecting several Chinese cities, including Kunming, to both Sydney and Melbourne via the airline's Guangzhou hub. In its press release, China Southern claims that flying through Guangzhou will shorten the routes by two hours compared to connecting through Shanghai.

Photo: Xinhua Net

Kunming's reputation as China's 'solar city' has been bolstered by a recently announced solar power plant project which will be the largest in Yunnan province upon completion.

Yunnan Dingxing New Energy Development Co Ltd (云南鼎兴新能源开发有限公司) announced that it will invest 4 billion yuan (US$580 million) in an amorphous silicon power plant and equipment manufacturing facility located approximately 150 kilometers north of downtown Kunming.

Work on the 1.3 square kilometer facility – which is expected to have an installed generation capacity of 360 megawatts upon completion – is expected to begin 'soon' according to a company press release.

Once finished, the new Dongchuan plant is expected to join a 3.7 billion yuan power plant project in Shilin to make Kunming one of China and Asia's largest solar power generation bases.

The small city of Shilin (石林), located about 70 kilometers southeast of Kunming, is primarily known for being home to the Stone Forest, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of China's most famous examples of Karst landscape. In addition to rapidly building up its tourism infrastructure, the city is also preparing to become a leader in China's alternative energy revolution.

Last week Yunnan Power Investment New Energy Development Company announced that it will be the main investor in a Shilin-based solar energy photovoltaic power station which will be China's largest upon completion. Total initial investment in the station is expected to reach 3.7 billion (US$536 million).

The solar energy base will feature an installed generation capacity of 66 megawatts and will cover an area of 173 hectares. It will be connected to the provincial power grid for consumption by Yunnan residents and businesses. Construction on the facility will begin in October of this year and is projected to be completed in 2009.

Yunnan's high altitude, bright sun and clear skies make it one of the ideal locations for solar power facilities, which are being promoted by China's central government.

In October 2007 the government of Dali prefecture announced that it would cooperate with Yuanchang High Technology Group to build a US$500 million solar base, the largest non-crystal silicon thin-film solar cell power project in Asia.

In June 2007, Kunming was named China's 'Solar City' by the Worldwatch Institute - mainly based upon the prevalence of solar-powered water heaters throughout the city. It is estimated that half of the city's population uses solar water heaters.

Yunnan Normal University in Kunming is also home to the Solar Energy Research Instititute, which was founded in 1971 and plays an important role in China's solar technology research and development.

Image: tianshannet.com

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