The greening of the Chinese desert through the implementation of seven million solar panels and the grazing of thousands of sheep.
Where once dust and sand reigned, now green is beginning to grow. In the heart of the Tibetan plateau, China is building a gigantic solar park that, in addition to producing clean energy, is causing an unexpected phenomenon: the greening of the desert. The shade of the panels reduces evaporation and promotes vegetation, while thousands of local sheep help keep it in check in a curious model of energy symbiosis.
### The world’s largest solar project
With an extension of 610 square kilometers, it is the largest photovoltaic installation ever built, with over seven million solar panels lined up in endless rows on the arid plateau.
### How the panels change the landscape
Beyond its energy capacity, the visible effects are on the ground, reducing erosion and slowing the expansion of dust and sand. In addition, their shade decreases evaporation, allowing moisture to remain and allowing grasses and shrubs to thrive in a previously inhospitable environment.
### The role of “photovoltaic sheep”
The emergence of vegetation poses a challenge: to prevent it from growing too much and hindering the panels. The solution has been to rely on local shepherds and thousands of sheep that graze among the rows of solar structures. This system benefits both the industry and the communities, providing a new source of income.
China and the energy transition
This project is just a glimpse of the scale at which China is driving its energy transition. In 2024, the country accounted for 61% of the world’s installed solar capacity and close to 70% of wind power. In the first half of 2025, it added 212 GW of solar power—more than the entire capacity of the U.S.—and 51 GW of wind power.
China has already met its renewable energy target for 2030 and, for the first time, confirming its role as the undisputed leader in clean energy.
