3GW PV project on former coal mining land in China enters commercial operation

By Carrie Xiao
March 10, 2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The 3GW Mengxi Blue Ocean PV power plant has entered commercial operation. Image: CHN Energy

China’s largest single-capacity PV power plant built on a coal mining subsidence area has officially entered commercial operation.

The Mengxi Blue Ocean PV power station covers an area of approximately 70 square kilometres and has an installed capacity of 3,000MW, with over 5.9 million PV modules deployed across the site.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Located in Otog Front Banner, Ordos City, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the project primarily uses coal mining subsidence areas and areas awaiting mining. It is one of China’s second batch of large-scale wind-PV projects in desert and Gobi regions, and it is also a key supporting project for the ±800kV ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission project from Shanghaimiao in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, to Linyi, Shandong province, which is part of China’s “West-to-East Power Transmission” initiative.

CHN Energy, which was responsible for the construction of the project, said H-shaped steel piles had been used as the foundations for the single-axis tracking systems. This enabled the pile diameter to be reduced to 100mm compared to 400mm for concrete precast piles, significantly minimising damage to the grassland landscape, according to the company.

Within the same area, the project was segmented into multiple PV units. When part of the ground subsides, PV modules can be more flexibly adjusted to ensure the optimal angle for sunlight exposure.

CHN Energy said that the project innovatively implemented an integrated module-tracker construction technology, marking its first application internationally. This approach significantly reduced manual labour and boosted installation efficiency by 25%. The project also employed new types of intelligent cleaning robots to efficiently remove dust and dirt from the PV modules, thereby maintaining the modules’ conversion efficiency.

What is noteworthy is the project’s power transmission capability. Guided by the concept of “bundling thermal and PV, joint transmission, comprehensive demonstration, and technological leadership”, the project can transmit green power across thousands of miles from western Inner Mongolia to Shandong Province. The project is expected to generate an annual output of 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours, which is enough to meet the annual power needs of 2 million households, or equivalent to addressing the power demand of a medium-sized city in China.

10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.
Sponsored
October 23, 2025
Tongwei's rooftop-focused TNC 2.0 G12R-48 module will be among the products on show at All Energy Australia next week.
October 23, 2025
Solar PV technology has maintained its leading position as the most cost-competitive power generation source in 2025, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie.
October 23, 2025
Spanish power electronics specialist Ingeteam has won a contract to supply inverters and control systems for European Energy Australia's 100MW Winton North solar-plus-storage project in northeast Victoria.
October 23, 2025
Powerlink Queensland is seeking federal approval to expand its existing 330kV Bulli Creek Substation in Southern Queensland to accommodate the grid connection of Genex Power's 775MW Bulli Creek solar PV power plant.
October 23, 2025
Queensland's rooftop solar systems have exceeded 5GW of output for the first time, marking a milestone in Australia's solar expansion.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal