A publicity desk was recently added to the central square of the provincial capital of Jujuy on the northern plateau of Argentina: “Jujuy Province, a province full of energy”. Not far away, the Huhui people in traditional costumes are celebrating the Earth Mother Day celebrations. With the help of Chinese companies, Argentina developed solar panel accessories to benefit the local people, and China and Algeria danced a harmonious 'tango.'
A successful cooperation between China and Afghanistan in the field of clean energy
The average elevation of the Gaocharay area in Jujuy is more than 4,000 meters. It is full of mountains and mountains, sparsely populated, and occasionally few cacti on the deserted Gobi. Due to the harsh natural environment, it is one of the least developed regions in Argentina. There are no hospitals in the area, no schools, and more than half of the households do not have electricity. The main source of income for residents is the sale of handicrafts to tourists and herbs that can alleviate altitude sickness. Many young people have to leave their hometown to work.
The high-risk area is rich in sunshine resources, with an average annual sunshine duration of more than 2,500 hours, making it one of the most suitable regions for photovoltaic power generation in the world. The Jujuy provincial government decided to build a photovoltaic power station here. In May 2017, during the “Belt and Road” international cooperation summit held in Beijing, China and Arab countries signed cooperation documents, and China Power Construction Group and Shanghai Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Power Construction) jointly won the bid.
The Gaochaorui 300 MW solar panel accessories station project, which was built by Chinese enterprises in April this year, was officially started, with a total construction period of about 11 months. This is the first photovoltaic power station project in Argentina and a successful cooperation between China and Afghanistan in the field of clean energy.
It is not easy to interview this project. The reporter drove through the mountain road of the province of Jujuy for nearly 4 hours before arriving at the construction site above the plateau. I saw a vast expanse of land in the mountains flattened, more than 9,000 photovoltaic supports stand on it, and the first photovoltaic panels have been set up. According to reports, the project covers an area of 660 hectares and has a designed service life of 25 years. At present, the engineering equipment and logistics bidding work has been completed. The project will adopt a number of new technologies, including tracking brackets, to improve the photoelectric production efficiency by adjusting the optimal angle of photovoltaic panels and light at the right time.
Ding Zonghong, chief engineer of the Argentine PV project, who has been working on the spot for several months in the field, was interviewed by this reporter. He repeatedly paused because of shortness of breath. Obviously there is still altitude sickness. He said that based on the local high-altitude terrain features, in line with the design principle of “saving land occupation, saving investment, improving efficiency, and reducing operating costs”, equipment bidding and selection are preferred to use products that are technologically advanced, safe and reliable, and easy to operate. Everything starts from the actual situation, in order to achieve a compact layout of the device. For example, the power distribution part adopts the prefabricated cabin in a fully enclosed environment. The modular design, factory customization and on-site assembly and assembly of the cabin equipment realize “ready-to-use”, which not only greatly reduces the workload of on-site construction and commissioning. Shortening the commissioning time is also beneficial to control the progress of the project.
Kaya people march towards a sunny and happy life
The province of Jujuy is a relatively concentrated area of the Croatian Kaya. The Kaya people respect nature, believe in the sun, regard the earth as a mother, and hold activities to thank Mother Earth every year. The Gaocharay Photovoltaic Power Station has settled in Jujuy Province and is popular with local people. They took the initiative to let the land of their ancestors live and meet clean energy. Machella, the chief engineer of the Afghan site, told this reporter that in order to protect the original ecological and natural vegetation, the entire photovoltaic park will build drainage channels based on the original terrain. In the rainy season, surface water can flow along the mountain without changing. Local ecological environment. “In such a tough area, the builders of the Afghan and China are happy to cooperate. The implementation of the Gaocharay PV power plant project will accumulate valuable experience for Argentina to build similar power stations in the plateau.”
After the completion of the Gaocharay Photovoltaic Power Station project, it will not only greatly ease the local power load, end the long-term history of purchasing electricity from other provinces in Hujui, reduce the price of local people, and effectively promote local economic development, and will also reduce fossils. Fuel consumption, adjustment of local energy structure, and the goal of protecting the ecological environment.
According to reports, the entire project construction process can create about 1,500 jobs, roughly equivalent to the total population of more than a dozen local villages. Gonzalez, 29, is one of the many workers involved in the construction of the power station. He is mainly responsible for inspecting the pile foundation and replacing it. Gonzalez has three children, the youngest son is born, the family has no fixed income, and there is no arable land in the village, and the family’s life lacks stability. “Working at the power station has changed this situation, and my wife is very happy.” Gonzalez can go home and reunite with his family for 21 days, and the transportation costs are provided by the project team. Today, he earns about $700 a month. 'The cost of schooling for children is finally settled, and the family is still considering adding new appliances,' Gonzalez said.
Olaby Gangduo Village is located near the solar panel accessories station project. Some villagers in the village have found jobs on the project site, while others provide transportation and catering services for the project builders. The villages with the ever-declining population have begun to flourish.
When talking about the construction of the project, on-site operator Escalante told this reporter: 'People from some neighboring countries, including Peru and Chile, have also come to participate in the construction of photovoltaic power plants. We are changing the future.'
In the near future, Gao Charee’s night will light more lights. Grasping the opportunities brought by the “Belt and Road”, the Kaya people who believe in the sun are moving towards a sunny and happy life.