Stories of High-Quality Development | Solar-powered steeds racing through the desert

On the grasslands of Ejin Horo Banner in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, a portrait of energy transition unfolds: rows of solar panels glisten under the sun, while white wind turbines rotate gracefully in the distance.

Once famous for its rich natural resources, Ordos is now advancing toward a "green zero-carbon city."

As one of China's vital energy hubs, Ordos is modernizing its traditional energy systems, accelerating the development of the new energy sector and the construction of a modern energy system. In the process of energy transformation and upgrading, it has dedicated itself to the development of wind, solar, photovoltaic and hydrogen energy, with new energy industry clusters rising rapidly.

In the Kubuqi Desert, the seventh largest desert in China, the land once battered by storms now takes on a new look. With the implementation of sand prevention and control and wind power photovoltaic integration projects, Ordos is vigorously promoting sand control with photovoltaic projects.

The country's first batch of large-scale wind power photovoltaic bases have been built and connected to the grid, and the construction of two 10-GW bases has been accelerated. It is estimated that by 2030, the city will have built more than 100 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity, and will strive to achieve a scale of nearly 60 million kilowatts of outbound green electricity transmission.

In a photovoltaic power generation application base in Dalad Banner, solar panels generate electricity, while ecological restoration is carried out under the panels, with plants growing in the spaces between the panels. This "blue sea" of the desert has not only changed the appearance of the desert, but also brought continuous ecological, economic and social benefits.

"We once chased pasturelands with our herds — now we chase wind and light for power," said a local herdsman. Like a Mongolian horse galloping across the grassland, this photovoltaic ocean charges forward, delivering clean energy and hope. More tales of "deserts transforming into blue seas" will continue to unfold on this land.