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Qinghai's Hainan Prefecture: National Innovation Demo Zone

Source: Science and Technology Daily | 2023-05-04 09:43:56 | Author: CHEN Chunyou & ZHANG Yun

Sheep eat grass next to solar panels at a photovoltaic park in Gonghe county, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. (PHOTO: VCG)

By CHEN Chunyou & ZHANG Yun

Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Hainan Prefecture) in northwest China's Qinghai province has been designated as a national innovation demonstration zone for sustainable development in 2022, which is seen as a significant achievement and a new calling card for the prefecture.
The construction of the innovation demonstration zone is China's concrete action in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, proposed by the UN in 2015. Over the years, Hainan Prefecture has made remarkable progress in new energy industry and ecological protection.
Taking advantage of energy resources
Due to its strong light radiation and long periods of sunshine, Hainan Prefecture is rich in new energy resources, especially wind and solar energies.
In Gonghe county of Hainan Prefecture stands a 10 million kilowatts photovoltaic generation park, which has received an investment of 137.5 billion RMB. The installed capacity of clean energy was 43.14 million kW, and that of the grid-connected system was 20.94 million kW, accounting for 51 percent of Qinghai province.

The park has become the world's largest concentrated development demonstration park in terms of installed capacity, with its business scope covering photovoltaics, wind power, equipment manufacturing and intelligent operation and maintenance of power infrastructure.

The park also aids in controlling desertification. A vast expanse of solar panels brought by the concentrated photovoltaic projects shadows the surface of the semi-desert region, which helps lower wind speed and reduce evaporation, thereby increasing vegetation coverage, and turning the semi-desert green.

In addition, Hainan Prefecture is also abundant with water resources, which have been transformed into momentum for development.

Taking advantage of the water resources in the dam area, Hainan Prefecture established an intelligent large-scale salmon breeding base and achieved an output value of 560 million RMB in 2022.

Resorting to external help

Despite facing challenges due to its geological location, such as lacking universities and institutes, and having a relatively weak foundation for technological innovation, Hainan Prefecture actively seeks help from experts all over the country to solve technological challenges.

Xie Kangyong, director of Hainan Prefectural Science and Technology Bureau, said an expert advisory committee composed of 60 academicians has been set up to provide technical services and decision-making consultation for major industrial projects.

"We are cooperating with the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to set up an experimental base, aiming to establish a technological chain centering around ecological governance and the commercialization of research results from agricultural and livestock industry," added Xie.

Su Haihong, deputy director-general of Qinghai Science and Technology Department (QSTD), said the construction of the innovation demonstration zone has ushered in significant strategic opportunities for the region's development.

QSTD will accelerate the application of green and low-carbon technologies in the zone, and promote the integrated development of photovoltaic industry, ecological protection, and agricultural and livestock products, to enrich the innovation and industrial chains.

Editor: 陈春有

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