Power generation groups compete for "desert, Gobi, and wasteland", and energy storage ignites a new battlefield for energy revolution

Recently, with the approval of the State Council, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Three-North Desert, Gobi, and Wasteland Photovoltaic Desertification Control Plan (2025-2030)". According to the plan, by 2030, The Three-North region will add 253GW of photovoltaic installed capacity , and simultaneously treat 10.1 million mu of desertified land.

"Three-North desert, Gobi, and wasteland" areas are rich in solar and wind energy resources, and are also the top priority for the construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases.

Construction of "desert, Gobi, and wasteland" accelerates, energy storage becomes a key support for consumption

The Government Work Report released on March 5, 2025, clearly proposed to accelerate the construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases in "desert, Gobi, and wasteland". Since 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration have successively issued three batches of project lists for the construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases. According to the latest planning and layout plan for large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases in "desert, Gobi, and wasteland", by 2030, The total installed capacity of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases focusing on desert, Gobi, and wasteland areas will reach 455GW.

For ultra-large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases, consumption has always been one of the important challenges faced by their construction. In terms of regulating resources, in addition to peak regulation with thermal power, New energy storage has become a key support for promoting consumption.

The core role of energy storage is reflected in two aspects:

Configuring energy storage can improve the utilization rate of new energy in the channel and the peak capacity during peak hours. Currently, when the wind and photovoltaic power generation in the desert, Gobi, and wasteland large bases are simultaneously high, the new energy output will exceed the DC transmission power. By configuring energy storage, the fluctuation of new energy power can be effectively smoothed, promoting the consumption and utilization of new energy, and improving the peak power of channel power transmission or extending the peak duration by transporting electricity. According to calculations, Based on the scenario of "4 million thermal power + 11 million new energy", configuring 0-2 million kW of energy storage (4 hours) has a near-linear effect on improving the peak effect of the evening peak and the utilization rate of new energy ; continuing to increase the energy storage to more than 3 million kW, the effect of peak regulation and peak power per unit capacity of energy storage gradually decreases, and there is a marginal effect.

Grid-connected energy storage can improve system support capabilities. Currently, desert, Gobi, and wasteland large bases mainly require the use of distributed static var compensators to improve the short-circuit ratio of multiple stations. Combined with technological development, grid-connected energy storage can be promoted to improve the system inertia level and promote energy storage to participate in frequency regulation.

Power generation groups compete for "desert, Gobi, and wasteland", energy storage becomes standard

Major power central enterprises generally adopt a multi-energy complementary model of "new energy + energy storage + coal-fired power/solar thermal power" in the construction of large-scale desert, Gobi, and wasteland bases, with energy storage generally accounting for 10%-20% (4 hours).

Representative projects of Huadian Group:

Xinjiang Tianshan North Foot Gobi Energy Base , with a total investment of 54.7 billion yuan, a total power generation capacity of 14.2 million kW, including 4 million kW of coal-fired power, 7 million kW of wind power, 3 million kW of photovoltaic power, and 200,000 kW of solar thermal power. Supporting construction 1200MW/4800MWh electrochemical energy storage devices, with the proportion of new energy installed capacity exceeding 70%.

Huadian Tengger Desert Hexi New Energy Base , located in Jinchang City and Wuwei City, Gansu Province, with a total capacity of 15.2 million kW, including 4 million kW of thermal power, 4 million kW of wind power, 7 million kW of photovoltaic power, and 200,000 kW of solar thermal power, 2000MW/4000MWh new energy storage 。
Inner Mongolia Tengger New Energy Base , located in Tengger Desert, Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, with a total supporting new energy capacity of 12.8 million kW, including 4 million kW of wind power and 8.8 million kW of photovoltaic power, and supporting 4 million kW ‌ ultra-supercritical coal-fired power units as supporting power sources, Simultaneous construction of new energy storage facilities , forming a "three-in-one" energy development model.

Gurbantunggut Desert Base Project , with a construction scale of 5 million kW, including 3.4 million kW of photovoltaic power and 1.6 million kW of wind power, and supporting construction of 125,000 kW of energy storage facilities 。

Representative project of Huaneng Group: Inner Mongolia Kubuqi Desert Ordos South New Energy Base Project : The overall construction scale is 16 million kW, including 4 million kW of wind power and 8 million kW of photovoltaic power generation, with 4 sets of 1 million kW peak-regulating coal-fired power units, supporting energy storage of 2400MW/4800MWh , and simultaneously carrying out desert management, with a supporting ecological protection system, with a total investment of approximately ‌ 76 billion yuan ‌‌。 Representative project of State Power Investment Corporation: Gansu Badain Jaran Desert Base , the power generation plan includes 11 million kW of new energy, 4 million kW of supporting coal-fired power, energy storage of no less than 1.4 million kW (4 hours) , and reasonably configuring the scale of solar thermal power generation. The project is mainly located in Jiuquan City and Zhangye City, Gansu Province, and is led by the State Power Investment Corporation. Representative project of Three Gorges Corporation:
Xinjiang Southern Xinjiang Taklamakan Desert New Energy Base Project , the total planned installed capacity of the power generation project is approximately 19 million kW, including 4 million kW of wind power, 8.5 million kW of photovoltaic power, 3.96 million kW of advanced and efficient coal-fired power, new energy storage of approximately 2500MW . After the project is completed and put into operation, it will supply more than 60% of green electricity to the Sichuan-Chongqing region, and can provide 5 million kW of reliable power support during the evening peak. Inner Mongolia Kubuqi Desert Ordos Central and Northern New Energy Base Project Planning the construction of 12.2 million kW of new energy (including 8 million kW of photovoltaic, 4 million kW of wind power, and 0.2 million kW of solar thermal power), and 4 million kW of thermal power, 5 million kWh of electrochemical energy storage. National Power Investment Corporation representative project: Qinghai Hainan Prefecture Gobi Clean Energy Base Project with a total power generation capacity of 21.64 million kW, including a total new energy capacity of 15.6 million kW, with a photovoltaic capacity of 7.2 million kW, a wind power capacity of 8.4 million kW, a solar thermal capacity of 0.2 million kW, a coal-fired power capacity of 2.64 million kW, a pumped hydro storage capacity of 1.2 million kW, 2 million kW/4 hours of electrochemical energy storage 。 Ulan Buh Desert northeastern new energy base project, planning a total new energy capacity of 12GW, including 3.5GW of wind power and 8.5GW of photovoltaic power. 4 million kW of coal-fired power generation capacity will be added to the existing power plants (including nearby areas) for capacity expansion and upgrading, serving as supporting power generation, coordinated construction of new energy storage , solar thermal power generation and other flexible resources.

Although the development of large-scale bases in desert, gobi and barren areas is rapid, problems such as huge investment, grid pressure, and difficulty in consumption are also troubling large-scale base projects to varying degrees.
 

First, the economic issue. In addition to investment in wind power, photovoltaic power, and coal-fired power generation, the construction of large-scale base projects also requires supporting infrastructure such as power grids and energy storage. The total investment of a single base project can reach tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of yuan, making economics one of its biggest challenges.

Second, the grid pressure issue. By 2030, 455GW of new energy projects in large-scale bases will be connected to the grid, which will pose a huge challenge to the power system. Large-scale bases not only need energy storage to smooth out fluctuations, but also need the support of a new power system.

Third, the consumption difficulty issue. While focusing on long-distance transmission, efforts are also being made to explore nearby consumption needs and actively explore new models that integrate new energy and industrial development. For example, the recent issuance of the "Notice on the Orderly Promotion of Green Electricity Direct Connection Development" by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration supports some new energy sources that do not directly connect to the public power grid, but instead directly provide green electricity to a single power user. This not only helps to consume new energy nearby, but also provides new development opportunities for energy-intensive enterprises, export-oriented enterprises, and new energy power generation enterprises.

The construction of "desert, gobi, and barren land" new energy bases is a win-win move for ecological governance and energy transformation, and it also creates application scenarios at the million-kilowatt level for the energy storage industry. Future development will also depend on the construction of ultra-high voltage transmission channels, the reduction of energy storage costs, and policy coordination. This energy revolution has only just begun.