Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III is a 20 MW solar power plant in Qinghai Sheng, China. It is operated by Longyuan Golmud New Energy Development Co. Ltd.. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 8.5k homes (estimated). It ranks #5331 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 11.1% of China's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1025943.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 20 MW, Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III is around the median solar plant in China (20 MW). Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of China solar capacity
- less than 0.1% of 54,823 MW across 1,318 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest solar plants in China
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Longyuan Golmud New Energy Development Co. Ltd..
Local climate & thermal context
This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 128% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 97/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #844 largest solar power plant of 1318 in China by capacity.
China has 1318 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 54,823 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
Location
Coordinates 36.36, 95.24 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III?
Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III is a 20 MW solar power plant in Qinghai Sheng, China.
Who operates Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III?
Qinghai longyuan Golmud Phase III is operated by Longyuan Golmud New Energy Development Co. Ltd..