Southern Xinjiang’s first wind farm begins operation, boosting high-altitude wind energy

Southern Xinjiang’s first wind power project, situated at an average altitude of 3,100 meters in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, went into operation on Saturday. 

Located in Wuqia County on the Pamir Plateau, the wind farm is the westernmost one in China. The project represents a major advancement for China in high-altitude wind energy technology. 

The first batch of 20 turbines is expected to generate around 270 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, delivering clean energy to the region and providing valuable experience for building high-altitude, low-wind-speed wind farms. Once fully operational with all 38 turbines, the farm will have a total capacity of 200,000 kilowatts.

Southern Xinjiang’s first wind power project, situated at an average altitude of 3,100 meters in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, went into operation on Saturday. /CMG

“The wind power project is the first of its kind in southern Xinjiang. Its completion and operation mark an end to the region’s history without wind-generated electricity. The project will complement the local power supply provided by hydropower and photovoltaic power stations in the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture. Its four-hour energy storage system will participate in the peak-shaving of the power grid, greatly enhancing the safe and stable operation capability of the local power network,” said Zhang Shigang, chairman of the Xinjiang branch of Longyuan Power under CHN Energy, the project’s operator.

The project is scheduled to be fully operational by year-end, with an expected annual generation of about 540 million kWh, sufficient to meet the needs of approximately 300,000 households and further enhance the local energy mix.