Ordos New Energy Industry Demonstration Zone

In order to develop new energy industries and strengthen resource investigation and investment service management, Ordos has founded a new energy industry demonstration zone. In 2009, the municipal party committee and city hall focused on the development of new major strategic industries, such as power generation sources, energy and light equipment manufacturing, natural gas liquefaction and materials. It is the only new energy-led industrial park in Ordos and was identified as Ordos' s key industrial park in 2012. At present, there are 65 projects, 37 of which have been completed, with an agreed investment of 46.97 billion yuan ($6.79 billion) which includes a completed investment of 11.01 billion yuan.

The planning area of the emerging industry park is 30 sq km, with new energy, new light source equipment manufacturing and natural gas liquefaction as the leading industries and startup bases of small and medium-sized companies as auxiliary industries. Taking new energy equipment manufacturing as the example, the park has introduced a 4-billion-yuan silicon wafer investment project from ET Solar, with a completed investment of 1.78 billion yuan. The 250 million yuan 200MW PV module manufacturing project has also begun preparation work. The new light source (LED) industry has completed its industry cluster plan, while the liquefaction of natural gas (LNG) industry has introduced a 1.4-billion-yuan investment. The finished projects' capacity will achieve a turnover of 700,000 tons. A group of 16 small and medium-sized companies, including new medicine production, comprehensive utilization of sand industry, food processing and auto sales accumulatively attained 344 million yuan of investment with an annual production value of 216 million yuan.

The power generation park occupies 280 sq km, with renewable energy sources and pumped storage as the leading industries. The park has abundant wind energy and solar energy, with the annual average wind speed reaching a category two qualifying 8.3 meters per second. The annual direct solar radiation can reach over 1,900 kWh per sq m and the annual average sunshine duration is over 3,200 hours. The resource quality ranks only second to Qinghai province, Tibet autonomous region and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with a rich collection of new energy elements making it the ideal region for the construction of new energy power generation bases. 

The future installed capacity will reach 11,070 mW and in the next five years it will achieve the "2 million" target, which includes the installation of projects that will generate a 1 million kW wind energy capacity and 1 million kW solar energy capacity. The total installed capacity of new energy power generation projects has already surpassed 10,000 mW. Now, the grid-connected power generators have reached 914 mW, consisting of 6 wind power generation projects with an installed capacity of 300 mW, ten solar power generation projects with an installed capacity of 590 mW, and one biomass power generation project with an installed capacity of 24 mW. Compared with traditional energy, 100mW of one renewable energy set per year can reduce 70,000 tons of coal burnt each year, thus reducing emissions and handling expenses of 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 150 tons of sulfur dioxide and 1,750 tons of ash.

The demonstration zone will take full advantage of opportunities as the nation supports electricity channels and renewable energy development to construct a new energy power generation base and an emerging industry cluster. According to the development concepts of scientific support and planning, it will build a wind and light power station, a desert photovoltaic power station, a photovoltaic poverty relief power station and a liquefied natural gas production base, setting a competitive standard amid the autonomous region and achieving a national level new energy demonstration base.