China Power Dabieshan Sales Company's Million-Kilowatt-Class New Energy Base in Macheng City Achieves Agrivoltaics Harvest

On July 27, crops were growing luxuriantly under the agrivoltaic PV arrays at the Macheng million-kilowatt-class new energy base of China Power Dabieshan Power Sales Co., Ltd. ("Dabieshan Sales"). The former barren riverbank, once covered in sand and gravel, has been transformed beyond recognition. Beneath more than 600 mu of solar panels, various melons and fruits, including watermelons, winter melons, and pumpkins, have ripened, showcasing a vivid example of ecological management and integrated resource utilization.

To promote the development mode that locates agricultural production underneath solar panels, Dabieshan Sales collaborated with a team of agricultural experts to plan scientifically based on local conditions. Taking into account the climatic features in summer and soil moisture conditions, they selected stress-tolerant and economically valuable varieties such as pumpkins, trichosanthes, and winter melons for large-scale cultivation. Seedling cultivation began in January of this year, and the seedlings were transplanted in April. During the period, the company closely monitored key production activities such as water and fertilizer management as well as pest control and strictly implemented technical specifications of the agricultural industry to ensure "successful planting, effective management, and bountiful harvests", and therefore the survival rate and yield of the crops grown beneath the panels have steadily improved.

Currently, the 300 mu of pumpkins growing beneath the solar panels are thriving, with an expected yield of 200,000 kg; the trichosanthes vines have fully climbed the trellises and are beginning to bear fruit. The land beneath the solar panels is steadily yielding "ecological fruits" and "fruits of prosperity." The comprehensive utilization of land resources has produced remarkable results, injecting sustained momentum into the region's green and low-carbon transition and rural revitalization efforts.