China's Jinneng Group has started building 5 GW of solar across three projects in a coal mining subsidence zone in northern China, with a $2.3 billion investment. The projects, bolstered by 2 GW of thermal power and 3.4 GWh of energy storage, will supply 9.3 TWh of clean electricity per year.
Jinneng Group, one of Shanxi Province’s largest state-owned energy companies, broke ground on three large-scale photovoltaic projects with a combined installed capacity of 5 GW in the coal mining subsidence areas of Datong, northern Shanxi. The total investment for the projects is estimated at CNY16.5 billion (approximately $2.3 billion).
The developments include: a 1.6 GW solar project in Zuoyun Town, with an investment of CNY 5.28 billion and covering about 43 square kilometers, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 and expected to generate 2.36 TWh of electricity annually; a 1.7 GW PV facility in the Yungang region, spanning five townships and backed by CNY 5.61 billion in investment, slated for completion in March 2027; and a third 1.7 GW solar farm in Xinrong Town, also backed by CNY 5.61 billion and occupying around 44.4 square kilometers.
The projects form the backbone of China’s only major renewable base built primarily on a coal mining subsidence zone among the 12 large-scale wind and solar bases approved under the national “desert, Gobi and wasteland” initiative. They are being developed, constructed and operated by Jinneng Holdings Jinbei Energy (Shanxi) Co., Ltd., a joint venture established in 2023 between Jinneng Group (66.67% stake) and Tongbao Energy (33.33%), with a registered capital of CNY 3 billion, specifically to oversee the development of the Jinbei base.
To ensure stable power delivery from the massive solar arrays, the projects will be supported by 2 GW of thermal power and 3.4 GWh of energy storage, as approved by the Shanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission. These will be developed in parallel with the solar plants. The energy generated will feed into the Datong–Huailai–Tianjin 1000 kV ultra-high voltage (UHV) AC transmission corridor, already approved by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and currently under construction, enabling the transmission of clean energy to demand hubs such as Beijing and Tianjin.
Jinneng Group noted that the Jinbei base will prioritize high-efficiency n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and heterojunction modules. Once operational, the base is expected to provide 9.3 TWh of clean electricity annually to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The project also includes ecological remediation and land rehabilitation for an estimated 150 square km of subsided land.
Jinneng Group, a provincial energy leader, has been accelerating its pivot towards renewables in recent years. In 2024, it added 3.5 GW of new wind and solar capacity, pushing its cumulative renewable energy portfolio past 15 GW.