China - December 26, 2024 Second phase of high-altitude solar power project in China's Xizang goes operational (Voice_over) The second phase of a solar farm in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region officially began operations in mid-December. The first phase of the power station, which began operating at the end of last year at an altitude of 5,100 meters, has already generated over 60 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. The highest point of the second phase is more than 5,200 meters. Panels in this section are double sided to reflect light both from the sky and ground, which is often covered in snow. The panels are built to withstand extreme conditions, including wind gales with speeds of up to 37 meters per second, temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, and up to 1.8 meters of snow accumulation. (Sound_bite) Tao Kun, Project manager, Huadian Tibet Caipeng Photovoltaic Power Station: "After the second phase of the project is put into operation, we expect an annual power output of 155 million kilowatt-hours, sufficient to meet the annual needs of 50,000 households. This is equivelant to saving about 46,700 tonnes of standard coal annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 101,800 tons." (Voice_over) The second phase of the photovoltaic farm has also adopted a "solar-grazing " model which allows livestock to munch on grasslands beneath panels. [Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]