Tibet Embarks on New Journey of Energy Development

Tibet Autonomous Region boasts a vast land area, abundant resources, and great potential in developing clean energy. The Tibet branch of China Energy Investment Corporation, as the corporation’s important strategic pivot in Tibet’s energy development, focuses on constructing 10-GW hydro and solar multi-power bases to promote the development of clean energy. With an enterprising spirit and great dedication, it strives to help China Energy’s business continue to grow on the snow plateau.

An aerial view of the Nyang River.

The Tibet branch, established in Lhasa in 2010, is responsible for planning and coordinating China Energy’s energy development business in Tibet. Over the past 11 years, it has developed the Nyang River Duobu Hydropower Station into a benchmark in the region, playing a vital role in Tibet’s power grid. The hydropower station was cited as a first-grade unit in production safety and environmental protection by China Energy for three straight years from 2018 to 2020. The Nyang River Company was awarded a National May 1st Labor Medal of 2021, establishing a good image of China Energy in Tibet.

According to the 14th Five-Year Plan of Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibet will speed up construction of infrastructure projects such as power, power grid, petroleum and oil and promote large-scale development of clean energy to form an integrated power system with clean energy as the mainstay and petroleum, oil and other types of new energy as supplements and build a national demonstration zone for clean and renewable energy utilization by 2025. Meanwhile, it has set goals of enabling installed capacity, completed or under construction, to exceed 15 GW, expanding the installed capacity of photovoltaic and solar power to more than 10 GW, and leading the country in terms of clean energy development and utilization as well as electrification.

The plan also mentions planning and construction of hydropower stations in the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, development of new energy such as photovoltaic power, geothermal power, wind power, and solar power, and pilot projects of “photovoltaic power + energy storage” and “hydro-​wind-solar power complementation development,” which are in tandem with China Energy’s energy development plan in Tibet.