China, already a global leader in renewable energy, is seeking to raise the bar dramatically on wind and solar capacity with a massive new project in the desert.
The initiative, which is at least twice the size of the next-largest planned global development, comes as the nation attempts to quickly ramp up the pace of its transition to carbon neutrality ahead of global climate talks.
As China leads the way in adopting wind and solar power, other countries are striving to keep pace. Australia has several large projects planned, while South Korea and Oman are also emerging as strong players.
The first phase would create capacity that's more than the total currently installed in India, it would be able to generate four times as much power as the Three Gorges Dam.
While details are scant, construction has already begun, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday.
A likely location is western China, and previous unconfirmed reports said half of the total capacity would be constructed by 2025.
