Mongolia poised to become a world leader in solar power

Robin Pagnamenta, Energy Editor
It is better known for yurts and yaks but now the rolling steppes of Mongolia are to become the scene for a cutting-edge green energy project.
Chinese officials have signed a deal with America’s First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of solar cells, to convert a remote desert area of inner Mongolia into a giant power station.
First Solar, based in Arizona, said that the plant would be the largest solar station on the planet and would eventually involve carpeting 25 square miles of the remote Chinese province — an area roughly the size of Manhattan — with gleaming panels.
Once completed, in 2019, the site will generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity — equivalent to nearly double the output of the Dungeness nuclear power station and enough to power three million Chinese homes.
Mike Ahearn, the chief executive of First Solar, said that construction of a pilot project would begin by June 2010. A further three phases will gradually boost power generation at the site from 30 to 2,000 megawatts.
“We’re proud to be announcing this precedent-setting project,” Mr Ahearn said, after signing a memorandum of understanding with Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress. “It represents an encouraging step forward toward the mass-scale deployment of solar power worldwide to help mitigate climate change concerns.”
He added that a solar plant of this size would cost $5 billion (£3 billion) to $6 billion in the US, but that it would be cheaper to build in China.
While some of the details have not yet been worked out, the plant will be located within a huge new development zone that is eventually expected to generate nearly 12 gigawatts of renewable energy from wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power.
Beijing is eager to position China as a world leader in renewable energy. It plans to generate 15 per cent of its energy from green sources by 2020 and a variety of government incentives have been introduced .
First Solar will provide about 27 million thin-film panels for the site by 2019 and is considering building a factory to support the project.