Acwa Power, a Saudi Arabian energy company, has set up a renewable energy innovation center in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, China. The center will focus on research and development in solar power, wind energy, energy storage, green hydrogen, and seawater desalination. The initial phase includes an investment of RMB 20 million ($2.8 million) to establish research facilities and a green energy laboratory. The company has also partnered with Gulf Renewables Laboratory (GRL) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to support the project.
Earlier this year, Acwa Power signed agreements to develop over one gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy projects in multiple provinces across China. It has also partnered with Chinese firms to launch two renewable energy projects worth $312 million. The company plans to invest up to $30 billion in China’s energy sector by 2030 as part of its expansion efforts.
China is advancing its renewable energy sector with various projects. A 600-megawatt (MW) wind-solar hybrid system is under construction in Inner Mongolia to provide power for industrial use. In Jiangxi Province, a 150 MW floating solar power plant is generating electricity while utilizing water surfaces efficiently. A recently completed 50 MW offshore wind farm in Fujian Province is supplying clean energy to local industries.
Smaller renewable projects are also contributing to China’s energy transition. A 25 MW rooftop solar system has been installed at a logistics center in Zhejiang Province. In Henan, a 10 MW biogas plant is converting organic waste into electricity. A 5 MW hydropower-driven hydrogen production facility is being tested in Sichuan to explore green hydrogen technology.
Additional projects include a 3 MW geothermal energy pilot in Yunnan, generating electricity for rural areas. A 2 MW solar-diesel hybrid system has been introduced on a remote island in Guangdong to reduce fuel dependency. A 4 MW waste-to-energy plant in Shandong is processing municipal waste into electricity.
