China’s MASSIVE Desert Project Is About To Change The World

Summary

The video script discusses China's ambitious renewable energy projects, particularly the Kubuqi Renewables Base, which upon completion will supply 16 gigawatts of power to over a million homes. The script explores China's transformation from the world's largest polluter to a leader in green energy, driven by economic, health, and energy independence goals. It also raises questions about the environmental and geopolitical implications of China's renewable energy expansion, including the potential for exporting clean energy and expertise to neighboring countries.

Takeaways

• 🌞 The Solar Star Plant in Kern, California, is the largest solar plant in the United States, covering over 8 square miles with a generation capacity of 579 megawatts, enough to power approximately 255,000 homes.
• 🏜️ China's Kubuqi Renewables Base in the Kubuqi desert is a massive solar and wind facility, expected to supply 16 gigawatts of power to over a million homes once fully operational, making it one of the largest of its kind globally.
• 🔋 China is building a vast network of around 225 renewable energy bases across its western and northern deserts, aiming for a combined generation capacity of 455 gigawatts, with 60% from solar and 40% from wind energy.
• 📈 The scale of China's renewable energy initiative is unprecedented, with a capacity that surpasses the total green energy generation of the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, and Brazil combined.
• 🕊️ China's push for renewable energy is driven by economic benefits, improving public health, achieving energy independence, and enhancing international prestige.
• 🏭 China's industrial growth and large population have led to significant energy demands, traditionally met by fossil fuels, causing pollution and reliance on imports, which are now being addressed by the expansion into renewable energy.
• 💡 The geographical advantage of deserts, with abundant sun and wind, makes them ideal locations for solar and wind farms, which China is leveraging to its benefit.
• 🛠️ China's early involvement in the solar panel market and subsequent domestic growth have positioned the country as a leader in renewable energy technology and manufacturing.
• 🌳 The potential for China to export its renewable energy expertise and materials to neighboring countries presents new opportunities for economic cooperation and environmental improvement.
• 🌍 The global implications of China's renewable energy expansion include the possibility of reduced air pollution and the export of clean energy to other countries, which could have positive environmental impacts beyond China's borders.
• 🚧 Despite the progress, challenges remain, such as the geographical distribution of renewable bases in less populated areas and the need for improved energy transmission infrastructure to utilize the generated power effectively.

Q & A

What is the Solar Star Plant, and where is it located?

The Solar Star Plant is the biggest solar plant in the United States, located in Kern, California. It covers over 8 square miles and has a generation capacity of 579 megawatts, powering around 255,000 homes.

How does the Kubuqi Renewables Base compare to the Solar Star Plant?

The Kubuqi Renewables Base in China is much larger than the Solar Star Plant. When fully operational, it will supply 16 gigawatts, enough to power well over a million homes. This makes it significantly more powerful than the Solar Star Plant.

What are the conditions in the Kubuqi desert that make it ideal for renewable energy generation?

The Kubuqi desert has persistent but predictable winds and around 280 days of scorching sunshine every year, making it perfect for solar and wind generation.

How extensive is China’s network of renewable energy bases?

China is building around 225 renewable energy bases across its western and northern deserts. These bases are expected to have a generational capacity of 455 gigawatts, with 60% being solar and 40% wind.

What historical event spurred China to develop its renewable energy capabilities?

In the 90s, China began producing affordable solar panels to meet Germany’s growing demand. Despite facing tariffs from other countries in the 2000s, China pivoted to grow its domestic renewables program, driven by economic and industrial growth.

What challenges does China face in utilizing the energy generated by its renewable bases?

One major challenge is the distance between the renewable bases in the less populated western regions and the major cities on the east coast. China is developing ultra-high voltage power lines to tackle the issue of transmitting energy over long distances without significant losses.

Why is China focusing so heavily on renewable energy?

China's focus on renewable energy is driven by several factors, including economic reasons, protecting the health of its citizens, achieving energy independence, and enhancing international prestige.

What potential impact does China’s renewable energy expansion have on its neighbors and the global community?

China's renewable energy expansion could reduce air pollution not just in China but also in neighboring countries. Additionally, China could export surplus clean energy and energy generation expertise to its neighbors, significantly impacting regional energy dynamics.

How does China’s Belt & Road Initiative relate to its renewable energy strategy?

The Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) allows China to build infrastructure in exchange for natural resources. This initiative could potentially include green infrastructure, helping other countries develop their renewable energy capabilities while extending China's influence.

What are some criticisms of China's Belt & Road Initiative?

Critics of the BRI argue that it can be a form of neocolonialism, negatively impacting local environments, displacing native peoples, and involving human rights abuses. Despite its economic benefits, these issues highlight the controversial nature of the initiative.

Outlines

00:00

🌞 The Scale of Solar Energy in the United States and China

This paragraph introduces the largest solar plant in the United States, the Solar Star Plant in Kern, California, which spans over 8 square miles with a capacity to power 255,000 homes. However, it is overshadowed by the Kubuqi Renewables Base in China's Kubuqi desert, which, once fully operational, will supply 16 gigawatts to over a million homes. The paragraph highlights China's vast network of renewable energy bases being constructed across its deserts, aiming for a generational capacity of 455 GW, with 60% solar and 40% wind, surpassing the clean energy capacity of many nations combined. It raises the question of how China, a major polluter, is becoming a leader in green energy.

05:03

🏜️ Leveraging Deserts for Renewable Energy in China

The second paragraph delves into how China is utilizing its deserts, such as the Kubuqi, for solar and wind energy generation due to their consistent winds and abundant sunshine. It discusses the economic and strategic reasons behind China's push for renewable energy, including the country's financial opportunity in the solar panel market, the impact of tariffs leading to domestic growth, and the need for energy independence and reduced pollution. The paragraph also touches on the challenges of energy distribution within China and the potential for China to export its renewable energy expertise.

10:06

🌿 China's Green Energy Impact and Global Lessons

The final paragraph discusses the potential global impact of China's renewable energy initiatives, including the possibility of exporting surplus clean energy and the expertise to neighboring countries. It also addresses the geopolitical and economic implications of China's Belt & Road Initiative, which could facilitate the spread of green infrastructure. The paragraph acknowledges the challenges of replicating China's model elsewhere and the ongoing struggle between renewable and fossil fuel stakeholders in China. It concludes with a reflection on the United States' own efforts in clean energy, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the potential for a similar approach to establishing comprehensive clean energy bases.

Keywords

💡Solar Plant

A solar plant, also known as a solar power station or photovoltaic power station, is a large-scale installation of solar panels designed to convert sunlight into electricity. In the video, the Solar Star Plant in California is highlighted as the biggest in the United States, emphasizing the growing importance of renewable energy sources in meeting power demands.

💡Generation Capacity

Generation capacity refers to the maximum amount of power that a power plant can produce at any given time. The script mentions the Solar Star Plant's capacity of 579 megawatts, illustrating the scale of power generation from renewable sources and how it compares to traditional power plants.

💡Kubuqi Renewables Base

The Kubuqi Renewables Base is a massive solar and wind energy project in China's Kubuqi desert. The script describes it as a centerpiece of China's renewable energy efforts, with a potential generation capacity of 16 gigawatts, underscoring the country's commitment to clean energy.

💡Desert

Deserts are arid regions receiving little precipitation, often characterized by extreme temperatures and high levels of sunlight. The video script highlights deserts as ideal locations for renewable energy projects due to their consistent sunlight and wind, exemplified by the Kubuqi desert and other Chinese deserts mentioned.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources that are replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, and water. The video discusses China's significant investment in renewable energy, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease environmental pollution.

💡Gigawatts (GW)

Gigawatts is a unit of power equal to one billion watts, often used to measure the output capacity of large power plants. The script refers to the generational capacity of 455 GW for China's renewable projects, indicating the scale of China's renewable energy ambitions.

💡Clean Energy

Clean energy, also known as green energy, is energy produced from sources that do not emit pollutants or greenhouse gases. The video emphasizes the environmental benefits of clean energy and China's role in expanding its use globally.

💡Blackout

A blackout is a complete loss of electrical power, usually affecting an entire region. The script mentions blackouts in China due to a coal shortage, highlighting the vulnerability of energy systems reliant on non-renewable resources.

💡Energy Independence

Energy independence refers to a nation's ability to meet its energy needs without reliance on foreign sources. The video discusses China's push for renewable energy as a means to achieve energy independence and reduce its dependence on imported oil.

💡Ultra High Voltage Power Lines

Ultra high voltage power lines are electrical transmission lines that operate at very high voltages, allowing for efficient long-distance power transmission with minimal energy loss. The script notes China's development of such power lines to address the challenge of transporting energy from remote renewable bases to populated areas.

💡Curtailment

Curtailment in the context of energy refers to the reduction or stopping of power generation, often due to an oversupply or grid constraints. The video mentions that China is generating more renewable energy than it can currently use, leading to energy curtailment and the need for improved energy storage and transmission solutions.

Highlights

The Solar Star Plant in Kern, California, is the largest solar plant in the United States, covering over 8 square miles with a generation capacity of 579 megawatts, enough to power around 255,000 homes.

In China's Kubuqi desert, the Kubuqi Renewables Base is being constructed, which will be significantly larger than the Solar Star Plant, with a capacity to supply 16 gigawatts to over a million homes once fully operational.

China is building around 225 renewable energy bases across its western and northern deserts, with a combined generational capacity of 455 gigawatts, 60% from solar and 40% from wind.

The 455 GW capacity of these Chinese renewable projects is equivalent to the combined green energy generation of the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, and Brazil.

China's vast desert areas provide ample space for renewable energy projects, leveraging cheap real estate and abundant sunlight and wind resources.

China's early involvement in solar panel manufacturing for international markets has contributed to its domestic renewable energy growth, despite facing international trade barriers.

China's renewable energy push is driven by economic reasons, energy independence, and the need to address environmental pollution and health concerns.

The growth of China's renewable energy sector is expected to lead to a structural decline in fossil fuel use and emissions, ahead of the country's 2030 emissions reduction goals.

China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) may facilitate the export of its renewable energy technology and infrastructure to other countries, potentially boosting their economies and access to clean energy.

Despite the ambitious renewable energy projects, China still faces challenges in energy distribution due to the geographical distance between generation sites and major cities.

The United States' Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) reflects lessons from China's approach, allocating significant funding towards clean energy and manufacturing to enhance energy security.

China's renewable energy expansion is not without its drawbacks, as the country continues to build coal plants, indicating a conflict between renewable and fossil fuel stakeholders.

The rapid development of large-scale solar power plants like Kubuqi showcases the potential for significant renewable energy generation but also raises questions about the true impact on reducing emissions.

Incogni, the sponsor of the video, offers a service to protect online privacy by helping users manage their personal information held by data brokers.

The video discusses the potential for China to export its renewable energy expertise and materials to neighboring countries, such as Mongolia, as a way to diversify their economies from coal.

China's renewable energy projects, while impressive, are part of a complex geopolitical and economic landscape that includes both opportunities and challenges for global energy transformation.

Transcripts

This is the biggest solar plant in  the United States, located in Kern,  

California. The Solar Star Plant is over 8  square miles and has a generation capacity  

of 579 megawatts, powering around  255,000 homes. This is impressive,  

but about 6,500 miles away, in this remote  desert, there's a solar facility that could  

dwarf it … and just about every other  solar plant on earth. And it’s not alone.

Like many deserts, China’s Kubuqi desert enjoys  persistent but predictable winds and around 280  

days of scorching sunshine every year. This makes  it a challenging place to live, farm or do just  

about anything else, but it makes it perfect  for solar and wind generation. That’s exactly  

what China is doing. This is the Kubuqi Renewables  Base. It’s roughly the size of 20 Central Parks,  

and when fully operational, it will supply  16 gigawatts to well over a million homes.

Kubuqi is impressive, but it’s just  the centerpiece in a vast network of  

around 225 bases being built across China’s  western and northern deserts. Kubuqi and its  

sister projects are well on track to have a  generational capacity of 455 gigawatts(GW),  

60% of which will be solar and the other  40% will be wind. That’s staggering — to  

put it into perspective, that's more clean energy  generation capacity than is currently available  

in any nation outside China. A system that large  could almost cover India’s current energy needs by  

itself. 455 GW is equal to the combined green  energy generation of the the United Kingdom,  

Australia and Indonesia, plus the  total power capacity of Brazil.

These bases are all due to come online  within the next year or two. That means  

China could dwarf the world’s current  renewable generation capabilities,  

but that raises the question, how has the world’s current biggest polluter  turned into green energy’s biggest champion?

I’m Matt Ferrell … welcome to Undecided. 

This video is brought to you by  Incogni, but more on that later.

Remember this? We’re back in the desert.  You probably already know that deserts  

are great for renewable energy generation.  Can’t have a solar farm without sun … and  

deserts have a lot of sun. Likewise  wind farms need wind, and the broad,  

warm, flat expanses of desert make for reliable  wind currents and predictable power generation.

That all makes sense, but I’ve been a little  deceptive. I haven’t shown you a single shot  

of the Kubuqi desert just now. These are from  the Ulan Buh, Tengger, and Badain Jaran deserts,  

which are all also in China. It just so happens  that over a fifth of China’s landmass is desert,  

and it’s one of the largest countries in the  world. What I’m trying to say is China has a lot  

of room to work with, and as we mentioned earlier,  deserts aren’t exactly valuable territory. So,  

the nation has leveraged the cheap real estate  and surplus of sand to acquire huge tracts of  

land that it's actively turning into these  massive renewable bases. This helps drive  

down the price of solar and wind power. China  has the resources and space to build a lot of  

cheap solar and wind energy, but there’s  a more obvious factor at play here too.

Back in the 90’s, China saw a financial  opportunity in serving Germany’s growing  

demand for solar panels. Thanks to nearby raw  materials and the structure of its supply chain,  

China was able to produce a ton of affordable  solar panels. Other solar companies around the  

world didn’t like the government subsidies and  incentives the Chinese government was leveraging.  

In response, many countries imposed tariffs on  Chinese-made solar panels in the 2000s. However,  

China was able to pivot and grow its own  domestic renewables program. This drove  

domestic demand for solar panels and turbines.  As Chinese economic and industrial power grew,  

demand for renewables grew right alongside it.

So how did China build their renewable energy  bases? Cheap access to a lot of green technology,  

lots of manufacturing power, and lots of  land ideal for solar and wind generation.  

But _how_ China is these bases isn’t as  

interesting as _why_ China is  rapidly building these bases.

This is a big reason why China is going so  big on renewables. This is Beijing in 2021,  

one of the biggest cities in one of the most  powerful countries on Earth … and it’s facing  

a crippling blackout. And this wasn’t the only  blackout. What was that? That year the world faced a coal  

shortage due in part to the ongoing pandemic.  More than half of China’s energy comes from coal,  

which meant that the shortage forced parts  of China to go dark. Droughts also meant  

hydroelectric plants were struggling to  keep up with demand. As you can imagine,  

that was bad for both Chinese citizens  and the country’s economy at large.

Then there’s this. Here, again, is Beijing  and it’s not out of power this time. It’s just  

covered in a thick, toxic cloud. Industry isn’t  clean. It needs a lot of power and the fastest  

and easiest way to get power is the Dark Side  (I mean fossil fuels). And if China’s massive  

industrial sector wasn’t power-hungry enough,  they also have a massive population that needs  

electricity too. Most of which, again,  comes from fossil fuels, which results in  

pollution like this. Not the kind of imagery  an ascendant global power wants to project.

While we’re on the subject of fossil fuels,  China is the world’s second-largest consumer  

of oil. They burned through over 13 million  barrels per day in 2023, while only producing  

around 4 million. Including strategic reserves,  this had led China to import around 11.4 million  

barrels of oil per day in 2023, which comes with  a hefty price tag. Sure would be great if they  

weren’t reliant on others for their energy needs.  I think you can see where I’m going with this.

So why is China adding 455 GW of renewable  energy? Lots of economic reasons,  

protecting the health of their  citizens, energy independence,  

and international prestige to name a few.  Gosh, it’s almost like there’s just a lot  

of benefits to going green. And if it’s  possible for this massive polluter to turn around,  

can other countries do it too? Are there  lessons we can learn from China? And what  

does such a massive jump in green energy  generation mean for the rest of the world?

But before talking about how this may impact the  rest of the world, there’s something else that  

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to Incogni and to all of you for supporting the  channel. So back to what we can learn from China.

The installation of bases like  the one in Kubuqi has analysts,  

like those from the Centre for Research on Energy  and Clean Air (CREA), all but guaranteeing that  

Chinese emissions and fossil fuel use will  not only fall next year, but enter “into an  

extended period of structural decline.” This  is due not just to these bases coming online,  

but the growth of other greentech industries  in China, like renewable batteries and electric  

vehicles. China is now hitting their 2030  reduced emissions goal five years ahead of  

schedule. This gives me hope that they’ll be able  to hit their zero-emissions goal in 2060 as well.  

If one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels  can do it, then the rest of us can too, right?

More immediately, all these plants coming online  should mean less polluted air not just for China,  

but its neighboring countries … and maybe more.  If China continues to build these facilities,  

and the technology continues to improve, there  are opportunities for these neighbors to buy  

surplus clean energy from China. Countries  like Mongolia that are currently China’s  

major coal sources are acutely aware of China’s  greenification. They’re trying to find alternative  

ways to generate energy and income as coal  demand collapses. Mongolia shares the Gobi  

desert with China and their side of the Gobi  is just as capable of generating that amazing  

solar and wind energy. There's an opportunity  here for China to export not just the energy,  

but the energy generation expertise  and material to these neighbors. It’s  

flipping the script … but these opportunities  aren’t just limited to China’s neighbors.

Since 2013, China has been making economic and  literal inroads to much of the world (especially  

the global south) with its Belt & Road Initiative  (BRI). It’s like China’s attempt to make a sort  

of neo-Silk Road.’ Basically, China builds up  these countries’ infrastructure in exchange for  

favorable access to their natural resources. Under  the BRI, China can potentially build up the green  

infrastructure of these countries too. Though I  have to point out that the BRI is controversial.  

Proponents and the World Bank have noted that BRI  involvement can raise a country’s GDP by upwards  

of 4%. It can also boost the world’s economy and  gives these countries access to infrastructure  

development that, in many cases, wouldn’t normally  be available to them. Detractors have called it a  

form of neocolonialism, and have cited instances  where the program negatively impacted the local  

environment, involved displacing native peoples,  and even some really bad human rights abuses. Again,  

not a geopolitics channel, so I’m not gonna get  into it ... BUT … it brings up a good point.

China is a global power on the ascent, and I’m  not suggesting they’ll bestow this energy or  

technology on their neighbors or allies simply out  of the goodness of their heart. Surely there will  

be some serious economic and political strings  attached. Is that trade worth it for improved  

infrastructure and access to green technology?  It's a complicated issue, and it’s not really for  

me to decide. I guess you could say I’m living  up to the name of the channel on that point.

All of this assumes that what China is  doing at home is replicable elsewhere,  

which is certainly not always going to be the  case. Heck, even China is facing some serious  

problems. Check this out. Notice an issue? How  about now? Most of the renewable bases are in  

those far less populated regions in the  west while some of China’s biggest cities are  

on the east coast. It’s difficult to get all  that power from point A to a very distant point  

B without losing a lot in the process. China is  actively tackling this issue by developing ultra  

high voltage power lines. However, for the  time being they’re actually generating more  

renewable energy than they can use, which is  leading to curtailment. All the clean energy  

generation in the world doesn’t mean much  if it's not actually replacing fossil fuels.

Still, there’s lessons to learn here. My home  country of the United States recently passed the  

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which directs $500  billion in federal spending and tax breaks toward,  

unsurprisingly, reducing inflation. Over  half of that allotment is intended to go  

toward clean energy with another nearly $50  billion going toward manufacturing. Though  

no one can really match China’s manufacturing  power, we are not too far behind here in the  

US. Our western and northern regions are home  to deserts and grasslands ripe for solar and  

wind energy. We have our own installations  in many of these places already, and I’m  

glad the IRA seems to have learned from China’s  economic incentives, but I hope we go further,  

and create our own fully fledged clean energy  bases. Having everything from mining resources  

to manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines,  and batteries here in the US could drop costs  

and accelerate our adoption … and give us  a tremendous amount of energy security.

No bones about it, this is an amazing step  in the right direction. And unlike a lot of  

stuff in the greentech space, the Kubuqi clean  energy base isn’t a work of futurology or the  

pitch of an exciting startup. It’s real,  it's working right now, and it's getting  

bigger. It has a bunch of sibling bases all  coming online in the next few years. China’s  

basically doubling the world’s renewable  generation overnight? What’s not to like?

Well, it’s not an unalloyed good or success.  China’s emissions levels have continued to rise,  

and they’re still building coal plants to  supplement the intermittent power of their  

renewable bases. After a post COVID rebound  in CO2 output during 2023, some estimates are  

showing that China may have hit peak carbon.  2024 and beyond shows declining numbers … but  

building and permitting more coal plants in 2023  and beyond feels like two steps forward and one  

step back. As we’ve seen in places like Germany,  even methodical, well-planned attempts to entirely  

phase out coal by 2030 have been scrapped in  light of unforeseen geopolitics and energy crises.

China already accounts for half the world’s  coal consumption, so it's worrying to see  

their government constructing even more  coal plants. As some analysts have warned,  

there’s a fight brewing in China  between renewables stakeholders,  

and fossil fuels stakeholders. It’s a familiar  fight we’re seeing everywhere around the world.  

I can only hope that renewables will  win — and do what I can back home.

But what do you think about the rapid build  out of giant solar power plants like this?  

Jump into the comments and let me know. And  be sure to check out my follow up podcast  

Still TBD where we'll be discussing some of  your feedback. Thanks to all of my patrons,  

who get ad free versions of every video.  Your support really helps us to keep  

delivering you these videos every week. If  you’d like to support the channel and get in  

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