Solar energy is one of the easiest and safest energy sources in the world. Unlike nuclear power that has been proved to be definitely not the safest one, solar plants will never cause that kind of the damage that nuclear energy stations have already done. Hydropower stations as well as solar farms are extremely capital-intensive. However, accidents on hydropower stations are extremely destructive and dangerous for people living around. That is why solar energy is the safest way to generate clean electricity and its potential all over the world is really massive.
Below in this article we will be learning about the biggest solar farms that exist in the world at the moment. However, the sunny sector is so dynamic that in a few years the solar energy leader list might change a little bit – not very drastically though because the current leaders do not seem to be slowing down.
Bhadla Solar Park, India
India is one of those countries who have perfect conditions for putting up solar farms. There are quite a few deserts that are ideal areas for placing anything as big as a solar plant. That is why the biggest solar plant so far (as of March 2020) is situated in the desert in an Indian state Rajasthan which is in the north of the country. It is called the Bhadla Solar Park. Its maximum capacity is going to reach 2.5 MW by the year 2021. This project is still on-going – by the end of 2019. The total capacity reached 2.245 MW. More solar panels have been added to the plant in the year 2020. By the end of the current year, the plant will be able to generate 2,255 MW. The plant has spread for over 57 square kilometers (14,000 acres).
If you think this is huge, just keep reading. Bhadla Solar Park is a really small part of India’s tremendous renewable energy program. According to this plan, by 2022 the country is going to receive 175 GW from all renewable energy sources. 100 GW of which will be generated from solar power. As of late March 2020, the installed capacity for the solar power reached 37.62 GW. Sure, it is a long way to go from 73 GW to the planned 100 GW by 2022. But we are sure this volume will be reached anyways even with a year or so delay. Even in this case, India will still keep the title of the biggest solar energy producer in the world.
Tengger Desert Solar Park, China
China is a unique country. It has the largest population in the world. Moreover, it is the biggest manufacturer of all kinds of goods. So both these facts make China the biggest polluters ever. We all know that China has been trying to find a way out of the worst air pollution crisis. However, it has not been very successful because shutting down even 10-20% of all the plants and factories in the country would have a tremendous impact on the economy. That is why while looking for a way out and exploring all possible solutions. The country has become one of the biggest producers and users of photovoltaics and thermal solar panels.
Just a quick explanation – photovoltaics solar panels generate electricity. In its turn, thermal solar panels produce heat. That is why one of the biggest solar plant in the world is located in China. Tengger Desert Solar Park with the capacity of 1,547MW is located in the Tengger Desert in Ningxia Autonomous Region of the China’s northwest. This plant is also known as the Great Wall of Solar. This region is more than perfect for putting up endless solar plants. Since the desert stretches for 36,700 km, while the solar plant itself occupies 1,200 km that is only 3.2% of the desert territory. The construction started in 2012 and the plant started operating in 2017.
Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Photovoltaic Park, UAE
Unlike India or China, the United Arab Emirates do not have those vast territories. The territory is only 83.6 square kilometers (or 32.3 square miles). However, 80% of the land is desert. That is why the UAE have a huge potential to become the leading country in the solar energy industry. The country has been very serious about the renewable energy sector. Also they are not going to stop moving forward. The plans are to generate up to 50% of all produced energy from the renewable sources by 2050. At the same time they try to reduce the CO2 emissions by 70%.
Noor Abu Dhabi solar park has a capacity of 1,177 MW. It covers an area of 7.8 square kilometers. While it is not the biggest one in the world. It holds a record of the largest individual solar power plant in the world. Unlike other big solar parks that are usually run by a few companies that have their own part of the solar park, Noor Aby Dhabi was established by only one company. It was the Emirate Water and Electricity Company. This park is generating electricity for 900,000 people. By the way it is going to cut Abu Dhabi’s CO2 pollution by 1 million metric tons.
Our list of the biggest solar farms in the world basically consists of the plants in these countries – India, China and the UAE. These countries have been the leaders in the solar energy area for quite some time. Taking into account their ambitious plans to keep using more and more desert lands to produce clean energy, they will be holding the lead for many years to come.