China Builds World’s Largest Solar Park in Tibet, Ten Times the Size of Manhattan

Talatan star farms successful the Gonghe Basin connected the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Credit: Siqi Yang / CC BY 4.0

In a distant agelong of the Tibetan Plateau, China is rapidly expanding what is present the world’s largest star park, a sprawling renewable vigor analyzable that already covers an country much than 7 times the size of Manhattan.

Located successful Qinghai Province, the Talatan Solar Park is acceptable successful a high-altitude godforsaken wherever beardown sunlight and acold temperatures boost sheet efficiency.

Chinese vigor officials accidental the site, presently generating implicit 16,900 megawatts of electricity, volition turn to screen 10 times the country of Manhattan wrong 3 years.

At astir 10,000 feet supra oversea level, the plateau’s bladed aerial allows star panels to sorb much sunlight than they would astatine little elevations. The park’s output is capable to powerfulness a metropolis the size of Chicago, and it anchors a larger cleanable vigor web that includes upwind turbines and hydropower dams crossed Qinghai.

Solar maturation anchored by upwind and hydropower

While the star enlargement draws planetary attention, China continues to adhd capacity. Nearby, upwind farms lend 4,700 megawatts, and hydroelectric stations supply different 7,380 megawatts.

Two further hydropower projects nether operation adjacent Talatan volition store daytime star vigor by pumping h2o into upland reservoirs, past merchandise it astatine nighttime to make electricity.

High connected the Tibetan Plateau, astir 10,000 feet supra oversea level, China is gathering 1 of the world’s astir ambitious clean-energy projects. In Qinghai state — a immense portion known to Tibetans arsenic Amdo — star panels agelong crossed an country 7 times the size of Manhattan, wind… pic.twitter.com/EGIE18MjOL

— Ali Khademhosseini (@khademh) October 10, 2025

Government-backed incentives person fueled this growth. In the aboriginal stages, companies were fixed escaped entree to land. More recently, Beijing has required provinces to complaint nominal fees to beforehand much businesslike onshore use.

Liu Ta, who manages the Talatan project, said that earlier designs interfered with grazing. Panels are present mounted higher to accommodate section herders and livestock.

High-altitude innovation and determination powerfulness exchange

High-altitude cleanable vigor projects are expanding beyond Qinghai. Near Lhasa, a 150-megawatt star workplace was installed astatine 17,000 feet, 1 of the highest successful the world.

Still, challenges remain. Wind procreation astatine these elevations is analyzable by bladed air, which reduces turbine efficiency. To support grid stability, solar output during the time is balanced with upwind and hydropower astatine night.

Qinghai exports excess energy to adjacent provinces similar Shaanxi, receiving supplemental ember powerfulness successful instrumentality to stabilize nighttime supply. According to Zhu Yuanqing, caput of the provincial vigor bureau, hydropower is progressively relied upon to capable star gaps and trim ember use.

The region’s low-cost, cleanable energy has attracted dense industries and information centers, including AI-focused facilities. Zhang Jingang, Qinghai’s enforcement vice governor, noted that information centers astatine precocious altitudes devour 40% little vigor for cooling and assistance vigor adjacent buildings done recycled server heat.

Despite restricted media access, officials showcased these developments during a summertime tour. Data for nationalist AI projects is present routed done Qinghai, though latency issues support captious applications similar autonomous driving successful eastbound China.