Is there photovoltaic power generation in the “mysterious forbidden area” Ailao Mountain?

Recently, Yunnan's Ailao Mountain has become a hot topic on social media with its mysterious topography, strange videos, and bizarre stories. During the National Day holiday, this "forbidden area" in the minds of many netizens even became a famous "Internet celebrity check-in point".

But in fact, there is also a photovoltaic power station on this "mysterious forbidden area". In March this year, the 150MW project of the Suoshan Forest Light Complementary Photovoltaic Power Station in Xinpingpingzhang Township, located in the primitive mountain range of Ailao Mountain, successfully received electricity and was successfully connected to the grid, bringing clean energy supply to this area.

Photovoltaic power station in the "mysterious forbidden area"

What is the origin of Ailao Mountain?

Ailao Mountain is actually not a mountain, but a group of mountains stretching for hundreds of kilometers across the boundary between the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains. It is located in the central part of Yunnan Province, spanning many areas of Yunnan Province, with a total length of about 500 kilometers. It is the dividing line of the climate between the east and west halves of Yunnan Province. The mountains are tall and majestic, with an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. There are more than 20 peaks above 3,000 meters, and the main peak of the same name is 3,165.9 meters above sea level.

Ailao Mountain has complex terrain, changeable weather, and dense primeval forests. Because of this unique charm, Ailao Mountain has become a "forbidden area" in the minds of many netizens. Ailao Mountain is also called the real version of "Yunnan Worm Valley" by netizens.

On this topography, the Suoshan Forest Light Complementary Photovoltaic Power Station Project in Pingzhang Township, Xinping was successfully completed. The altitude of the project is between 1,800m and 2,300m, and the land area is about 2,924 acres.

Building a photovoltaic power station under this environmental condition undoubtedly faces many special problems. It is reported that most of the slopes on the project site are 50°-70°, and the local maximum slope is 80°. Therefore, according to this special landform, during the construction process, the construction team changed some square arrays in the photovoltaic area from single columns to double columns, making the layout more stable to adapt to the adverse geological environment of the Ailao Mountain area.

At the same time, the flat legs of the collector line were changed to high and low legs. According to the different natural height differences of the four tower legs, different lengths of legs can be selected for design and construction, which can minimize the disturbance of the construction to the surrounding environment, protect the surrounding natural environment to the greatest extent, reduce the occurrence of soil erosion, and maintain the stability and safety of the construction while reducing land use.

It can be seen that even under the ecological environment of Ailao Mountain, photovoltaic power stations can be established through changes in technology and project construction teams. According to statistics, this project can save 78,200 tons of standard coal each year after it is put into operation, providing solid support for Pingzhang Township, Yuxi City, Yunnan Province to promote green and low-carbon transformation and healthy development of the local economy.

"Forest-photovoltaic complementarity" promotes energy reform in many ways

As can be seen from the Suoshan forest-photovoltaic complementary photovoltaic power station project in Pingzhang Township, Xinping, the forest-photovoltaic complementary project, as a new development model combining photovoltaic power generation and forestry planting, has its own special advantages and has brought a new method to the green transformation of rural energy in various parts of the country.

Forest-photovoltaic complementarity can make full use of the resource advantages of photovoltaic power generation and forestry planting. Forestry planting and tree vegetation can use the shading effect of photovoltaic modules to provide a suitable growth environment and realize resource sharing and complementarity.

The ecological and environmental protection effect brought by forest-photovoltaic complementarity is also obvious to all. Photovoltaic power generation is a clean energy that can reduce dependence on traditional energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, maintaining forestry and not destroying the forestry environment can improve soil quality, protect water sources and biodiversity, and improve the quality of the ecological environment.

More worth mentioning is the social effect brought by forest-photovoltaic complementarity. From the beginning of construction to the subsequent operation and maintenance, the forest-photovoltaic complementary photovoltaic power station has brought sufficient employment opportunities to the surrounding residents. Retaining the original labor-intensive forestry planting also promotes economic development and social stability in rural areas. At the same time, forest-photovoltaic complementarity can also improve the living conditions of farmers and improve the quality of life of rural residents.

Future development trend of "forest-light complementarity"

Since 2015, the main policy basis for the use of forest land for photovoltaic project construction has come from the "Notice on Issues Concerning the Use of Forest Land for Photovoltaic Power Station Construction" issued by the State Forestry Administration in 2015 (Lin Zi Fa [2015] No. 153.

On March 20, 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the General Office of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, and the General Office of the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Notice on Supporting the Development of Photovoltaic Power Generation Industry and Standardizing Land Management" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"). The "Notice" clearly states that "if the use of forest land for photovoltaic arrays involves the use of forest land, the forest-light complementarity model must be adopted. Shrub forest land in areas with an annual precipitation of less than 400 mm and shrub forest land with a coverage of less than 50% in other areas can be used. Trees shall not be cut down, Cutting and destroying the original vegetation, and not setting up photovoltaic panels after cutting down and transforming tree forests and bamboo forests into shrub forests; the lowest point of the photovoltaic bracket should be more than 1 meter higher than the height of the shrubs, and the net spacing of each row of photovoltaic panels in the north-south direction should be reasonably set, which shall be determined by local governments based on the actual situation, and effective soil and water conservation measures shall be taken to ensure that the growth status of shrub coverage and other growth conditions are not lower than the level before forest-light complementarity. "

Compared with Document No. 153, the "Notice" expands the scope of application of the "forest-light complementarity" model, and stipulates that the coverage of shrub forests in areas with an annual precipitation of less than 400 mm for photovoltaic arrays is no longer restricted, which greatly broadens the scope of forest use.

The forest-light complementary power station on Ailao Mountain can be regarded as a microcosm of the forest-light complementary project, taking on the development trend of "photovoltaic +" and providing support for energy transformation.