On the Qiangtang grassland, at an altitude exceeding 4,600 meters, 15,927 silver "sunflowers" bloom in silence. Fearless against wind and snow, they track the sun from dawn to dusk, absorbing every ray of light on the plateau. This "sunflower field" does not produce seeds, but yields something more tangible: electricity. The heliostats, reflecting sunlight, are supplied by the interviewee.
Giving the Northern Tibet Grid a "Power Bank"
Rows of pentagonal heliostats are neatly arranged, each with a reflective area of over 50 square meters. The entire field of 15,927 mirrors covers a total light-collecting area of about 800,000 square meters. Like sunflowers, they track the sun from morning to night, precisely reflecting light onto the top of a 210-meter-high heat-absorbing tower. This is the site of the world's highest-altitude tower-type molten salt solar thermal power station—the Tibet Kai Tou An Duo Tuo Shuo 100MW solar thermal + 800MW photovoltaic integration project. Amdo County, with an average altitude exceeding 4,600 meters, sits at the very end of the northern Tibet power corridor. The region's winters are long and harsh, and the grid struggles to support the entire county's heating and daily electricity needs. This is compounded by the unstable output of new energy sources like photovoltaics in winter. With shorter winter daylight hours, solar panels generate insufficient power, leading to "weak links" during peak demand. In recent years, power outages have occurred frequently. In 2023, the 4.868 billion yuan Amdo solar thermal integration project was initiated. This is Tibet's first tower-type solar thermal power station and currently the world's highest-altitude project of its kind. This project has effectively connected a "power bank" to the northern Tibet grid. When the thousands of "sunflower" heliostats reflect sunlight to the top of the heat-absorbing tower, the temperature there can rise to 565 degrees Celsius. Inside is "molten salt," a mixture primarily composed of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite. After being melted by the high temperature reflected from the heliostats, the molten salt flows into a steam chamber, boiling water inside. The resulting steam drives a turbine, generating electricity. Furthermore, once melted by sunlight, the molten salt can store heat for up to eight hours. This means after sunset, it can still release stored heat to boil water and keep the generator running, ensuring stable grid supply. According to Tibet Kai Tou staff, after the project is completed, the average annual power generation will reach 255 million kilowatt-hours, providing stable output for 15 to 16 hours daily, with a single-day storage capacity of 800,000 kilowatt-hours. As of July 25, the overall project construction progress is about 82%, and it is expected to be officially connected to the grid in October this year.
Pastures Under the Solar Panels
Sunlight is the most abundant resource on the northern Tibetan plateau. With an average annual sunshine duration exceeding 2,800 hours, strong solar radiation, and long daylight hours, it is a natural "photovoltaic treasure trove." However, a problem arises: the more solar panels laid, the more grassland they occupy. With panels covering the land, where can herders take their livestock to graze? In Biru County, Nagqu City, an ingenious solution has been found. State Power Investment Corporation has laid over 3,000 mu of photovoltaic panels on natural grassland in Biru County. Beneath the panels, yaks leisurely pass by, swishing their tails and occasionally nibbling on the grass. The model of "generating electricity above, grazing below" is the innovative "pastoral-solar complementary" model pioneered by the Biru Guodian Tou Photovoltaic Storage Station. A grazable photovoltaic station is supplied by the interviewee. Zhang Jianxun, head of the Nagqu Regional Maintenance and Inspection Center for State Power Investment Corporation Shannan Electric Power Co., Ltd., explained to China News Network that although the photovoltaic station is built on pastoral land, it does not damage the local geographical environment or vegetation. "The photovoltaic station above generates electricity, while the livestock from the pastoral area below can come in to eat grass, without affecting each other," he explained. He added that after the panels are erected, water vapor evaporation decreases, and the grass underneath actually grows better. To facilitate herders' grazing, the park has no walls, and the height of the photovoltaic panels has been raised to about 1.8 meters using sufficiently sturdy metal frames, ensuring they do not obstruct the passage of yaks. "Since operation began, there has not been a single incident of livestock damaging equipment," Zhang said. As of July, this station has generated over 192 million kilowatt-hours cumulatively. Compared to before the project started, the grassland vegetation coverage rate within the station area has increased by over 30%, and the forage yield has increased by over 40%. This is equivalent to saving over 57,600 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 153,300 tons. The photovoltaic panels not only generate electricity but also act as an "umbrella" for the pasture, blocking wind and conserving water, resulting in the grassland being in better condition than before. The "pastoral-solar complementary" model not only preserves the herders' grassland resources but also ensures the grid's supply of green electricity, achieving dual income and dual benefits. 2026 marks the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." Tibet adheres to the development direction of "plateau characteristics, green and low-carbon, digital empowerment, and open integration," adapting to local conditions to cultivate new productive forces, driving economic development with both speed and strength, and distinctive plateau characteristics. On this land, with an average altitude exceeding 4,000 meters, sunlight is nature's most generous gift. What the people of northern Tibet are doing is turning this gift into electricity, into grass, and into a better life, day after day.
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