The PV panels. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

At the beginning of this year, the Tianziling landfill in Hangzhou completed its transformation into a solar power station, renewing its role as a landfill, which it served from 1991 to 2020.

It is the first such project in Zhejiang province and the second in China, covering an area of 17,000 square meters with an installed capacity of 1.9 megawatts. It includes a 200/400-kilowatt-hour energy storage system and is expected to have a total power generation of 33.03 million kWh over 20 years, equivalent to an annual reduction of 1,141 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The project commenced construction in Sept 2023 and was connected to the grid and put into operation at the beginning of 2024.

"The 'PV plus landfill' model, without affecting the original industrial function and environment, has given the idle Tianziling landfill the new mission of delivering green and clean energy, achieving economic, social, and ecological benefits," said an insider from the Hangzhou Environmental Group.

Plans for the second phase are underway, with the total installed capacity expected to reach 5.8 mW, which will make it the largest integrated PV project at a landfill site in China.

The PV panels. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]