Tarim oilfield builds 200-megawatt photovoltaic power base

The Tarim oilfield branch of PetroChina, China's leading oil and gas producer, said on Saturday that it had completed construction of a 200-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) power project in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The new PV power base can generate 400 million kWh of electricity annually. Its successful launch marks the beginning of a new phase of energy base construction efforts at the oilfield, said the company.

The base contains the 100-megawatt PV power project in Yuli County and the 100-megawatt project in Qiemo County. Occupying 7,176 mu (about 478 hectares) in total, the base's annual power generation can satisfy the electricity demands of nearly 500,000 residents for a whole year -- which is equivalent to that produced by 124,000 tonnes of standard coal -- and also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 269,000 tonnes annually.

Currently, the oilfield plans to make good use of local land, wind and solar resources, while it also plans to launch more clean energy projects in Xinjiang in the future.