Located in the Gobi area on the Pamir Plateau in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the remote county of Akto is a key geological junction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
In the western reaches of the area, strong sand storms are common and dead tree branches can be seen everywhere, half buried in the sand.
It's hard to imagine what living there must be like, not to mention energy infrastructure construction. However, a group of people from China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) have been sticking there, building and operating a photovoltaic project to give full play to the area’s rich solar energy and guaranteeing stable power supply to its households.
A view of the vast Gobi desert in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
It was an unforgettable experience for every CNNC builder at the project. Zhu Jun, project manager, recalled that in the early days when they had just arrived at the site all of them had to crowd into a mobile house less than 60 square meters.
The construction team had to conquer hardships brought by huge temperature differences between day and night, which sometimes varied by 30 degrees Celsius, as well as frequent strong sand storms.
The nearest county to the project site is nearly 17 kilometers away. The construction team can only purchase daily supplies when they drive there for business affairs.
Dried noodles are a must reserve at the project site as they make a simple lunch when mixed with chili sauce.
A view of the photovoltaic equipment built in the Gobi desert in Xinjiang [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
More than half of the 12 managers at the project were born in the 1990s. Zhu Jun, the youngest one, is now in his 30s and has been working there for three years.
All builders work at full steam wherever they are and whenever required to realize high-quality construction. For them, the on-schedule and stable operation of the six new energy projects in Xinjiang is the best pay for their hard work.
Their diligence has forged the dream of development along the Belt and Road.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
