China’s Kubuqi Desert is being reshaped into one of the most striking energy projects on Earth. Located in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a giant “Solar Great Wall” is under construction. The structure is so large it can be seen from space, it will consist of a band of solar panels that will run 400 km long and 5 km wide. By 2030 it’s capacity will reach 100 gigawatts (GW), sending clean power to the Beijing – Tianjin – Hebei region.
China’s government says the Kubuqi Desert Ordos Central-Northern New Energy Base is expected to send about 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to that region once complete, with more than half coming from clean energy.
While the scale of the project is impressive, China is seeking to also combine power generation, desert control, grid expansion, and energy security in one massive integrated system. The project is part of a national strategy to use open deserts, state-backed developers, and long-distance transmission to feed major industrial and population centers.
One of the most interesting parts of the project may be what happens under the panels. In Kubuqi, planners are also trying to turn the project into a tool against desertification, one that helps hold down dunes instead of just sitting on top of them. The elevated panel structures slow wind, reduce evaporation, and create shade that gives grasses and crops a better chance to grow in a place known for sand and dryness.
This project is happening against the backdrop of China’s already large solar lead. China is the runaway leader in solar deployment, while the wealthiest nations in the G7 have stagnated. Global Energy Monitor data shows that, as of June 2024, China had about 386,875 megawatts (GW) of operating solar capacity, roughly 51 percent of the global total.
With over 440 GW of utility-scale solar under construction worldwide, total utility-scale operating capacity will increase by a third within the next few years. Seventy-five percent of that under-construction capacity is confined to the two BRICS giants, China and India.
Sources:
IE Explains, July 3, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pgjzRE_6wlw
Global Energy Monitor, ‘Global Solar Power Tracker, February 2026 release.’ https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-solar-power-tracker
Vozpópuli, June 30, 2026. https://www.vozpopuli.com/indux/en/china-is-building-a-250-mile-solar-great-wall-in-the-middle-of-the-kubuqi-desert-with-the-goal-of-reaching-an-astonishing-100-gigawatts-by-2030/6581/
