China has signed a deal with Arizona-based First Solar to build solar to build a a 2,000-megawatt photovoltaic farm in Inner Mongolia. From the New York Times’ Green Inc. blog:
Set for completion in 2019, the project represents the world’s biggest photovoltaic power plant project to date, and is part of an 11,950-megawatt renewable energy park planned for Ordos City in Inner Mongolia.
The agreement calls for ground to be broken on the first 30-megawatt phase of the project by June 1, 2010, followed by 100-megawatt and 870-megawatt additions to be completed by the end of 2014. A final 1,000-megawatt phase is scheduled to go online by Dec. 31, 2019.
When completed, the Ordos solar farm would generate enough electricity to power about 3 million Chinese homes, according to First Solar.
The deal could open a potentially vast solar market in China and follows the Chinese government’s recent moves to accelerate development of renewable energy.
