November 12, 2007 -- Yitai Coal Co., Ltd. in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics launched China's largest demonstrative solar photovoltaic power station in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. Work on the new power station was started in October 2006 and completed at the end of October 2007.

"The total capacity is 205 kilowatts with a total investment of 15.18 million yuan (US$2.04 million) from the the National Development and Reform Commission. Finally, our own investment was 21 million yuan (US$2.82 million)," Wenshan Li, the project director in charge of solar power station project, told Emerging China. The station uses an N-level optical funnel structure and quasi-uniaxial tracking technology, which substantially increases the concentration of sunlight by tracking the sun, said Li.

"We are not only a traditional coal company, but also an energy company in the broad sense of energy, including solar energy," said Li. "The new power station represents our strategy of maintaining sustainable development in compliance with current national development policy to utilize renewable energy and to improve the environment."

"We also introduce plants with equipment which defends them from the Inner Mongolian desert," he said.

"With the condenser tracking technology, we can reduce the cost of solar power generation," Yingtian Chen, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics, said in a statement. This technology works best where there are abundant solar resources, said Chen. "But in the region with poor solar resources, or in a region with poor air quality, the flat panel solar photovoltaic technology still has an irreplaceable role."

Inner Mongolia is not only well suited to the production of solar power, but also windpower.

"We compared several options, such as solar and wind power. Finally, we chose solar power, because it is more dependable than wind energy," Li said.

Yitai Coal located its solar plant to the west of Inner Mongolia, where there is an arid climate. It has an of average 3072 hours of sunshine per year.

The new demonstrative power station is expected to play an exemplary role in environmental protection.

"We have consistently proposed to give up fossil fuels, coal-energy, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and to promote clean energy, such as wind power, solar energy, and hydropower. We hope that this power station is developed and expanded with mature technical conditions." Shuang Liu, climate and energy campaigner, Greenpeace China, told Emerging China.