Solar power helps develop farm profit, preserve the environment

Thanks to a scholarship granted by the Chinese government, I was able to travel to China for the second time after more than 10 years. During the period I was trained, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences organized several field trips. On one trip, our group of 22 participants and three staff members took the train to Kaifeng North station in Central China's Henan province and made out way to the Yuwangtai Project site.

I saw the rapid development in Henan's economy over the past two decades. This rapid growth was transformed with infrastructure facilities that match other provinces. Henan has a semi-industrialized economy, with agriculture playing a major role. According to past records Henan has the highest wheat and sesame production in China and is the second-highest rice output producer. This province also is an important producer of beef, cotton, maize, pork, animal oil and corn. Food production and processing is the province's secondary industry. Traditionally, Henan has been based on domestic industries but recent developments have diversified its industrial sector. Henan is actively trying to build its economy around the provincial capital of Zhengzhou. It is hoped that the province may become an important transportation and manufacturing hub in China.

Henan's service sector is now expanding with finance, commerce and accommodation facilities for residents and tourists that are largely concentrated in urban centers such as Zhengzhou and Luoyang. The Chinese government established a number of development zones in all of the major cities here to promote industries. Henan has some of the most advanced transportation systems in China due to its flat terrain and its location in the heart of Central China. The Jingguang and Longhai railways, the nation's two most important, run through most of the province and intersect in Zhengzhou. A high-speed railway links Zhengzhou with Xi'an.

Kaifeng belongs to the continental monsoon climate of a temperate zone and has four distinct seasons, with moderate rainfall. There are no mountains but plenty of rivers and lakes in Kaifeng city. Kaifeng is closer to the Yellow River in the north and adjoins the plain of the Yellow River and the Huai River in the south, and now it has become a key tourism city.

At the project site, managers Jason Guo and Alex Lee explained the project to us. It covers an area of about 267 hectares with a total investment of $150 million. The power generated is incorporated into the national grid. It can generate about 140,000,000 KWh a year, or about 3.5 billion KWh within the next 25 years. It will save 62,000 tons of standard coal per year, and reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 1,500 ton per year and carbon dioxide emissions by 160,000 tons per year. The power station will produce 120MW to the nation.

The project was built relying on greenhouses. It can improve the efficiency of farm land without changing its basic use. Farmers can rent farmland to the operating company and go to work. The company plants commercial crops and herbs, such as peonies, chrysanthemums, privets, ginger and so on. Part of the farmland also will be developed into a tourist destination where visitors can pick their own vegetables and fruits.

The other part of the farmland will be used for sprout breeding. This area will be a demonstration of high-efficient farmland. The project combines produced agriculture commodities, agro-tourism and photovoltaic power generation that promote clean energy. This project is contracted by China Machinery International Engineering Design & Research Institute, Co Ltd and the owner of the project is HuaXin Co. I was fortunate to visit this place.

The author has worked as a farm mechanical instructor over the past 30 years at the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka and is a freelance writer for leading National Level (Sinhala) newspapers and magazines in Sri Lanka.