China’s First Large-Scale "Power-Computing Coordination" Green Power Direct Supply Project Put into Operation

On May 2, China’s first large-scale "power-computing coordination" green power direct supply project — the 500,000-kilowatt photovoltaic power station at China Datang Zhongwei Cloud Base — was officially put into operation. This milestone marks that China’s "East Data West Computing" project has achieved direct connection from desert wind and solar resources to digital computing load, advancing the green development of the digital economy.

Xinhua News Agency reports that as a national hub node of the integrated national computing network, Zhongwei boasts a new energy installed capacity ratio of over 60% and a new energy utilization rate of 94%, making it China’s first comprehensive new energy demonstration zone. The first phase of the project has a total scale of 2 million kilowatts with a total investment of 8.7 billion yuan, supporting the construction of a 500,000-kilowatt photovoltaic project and a 1.5 million-kilowatt wind power project.

People’s Daily notes that the project innovatively builds a dual-track power supply system of "physical direct supply + bilateral transactions". For the incremental load of data centers, it erects exclusive transmission lines, allowing photovoltaic power to be directly delivered to computer rooms without detour through the large power grid, with supporting energy storage facilities to store surplus electricity.

For the existing load, it realizes virtual direct supply through bilateral transactions in the power market, effectively reducing transformation investment. During photovoltaic power generation periods, physical direct supply is the main mode; when photovoltaic power is suspended, wind power supplements it, forming an all-weather energy supply pattern of wind-solar complementarity. This ensures that the computing park uses clean, low-cost and stable green power, helping enterprises reduce costs, improve efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

China National Radio states that currently, the 500,000-kilowatt photovoltaic project has been fully connected to the grid for power supply, and the 1.5 million-kilowatt wind power project is scheduled to be fully connected to the grid in September 2026. Once the first phase is fully put into operation, it will meet 2.29 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity demand of Zhongwei Cloud Base every year.

The project also plans to construct the second phase in the follow-up. After full completion, the total scale will reach 4.6 million kilowatts with a total investment of nearly 20 billion yuan. This expansion will further enhance the green power supply capacity, strongly supporting the in-depth advancement of the "East Data West Computing" project and the green transformation of the computing industry.

The operation of this project provides a replicable and promotable practice experience for the coordinated development of power and computing in China. It not only taps the potential of desert new energy resources but also realizes the local production and consumption of clean energy, forming a win-win situation between ecological protection and digital industry development. Moving forward, China will continue to promote such green energy projects to boost the high-quality development of the digital economy.