China has officially launched its first large-scale computing-electricity synergy project with direct green power supply, marking a milestone in the nation's massive commitment to building a unified, nationwide computing network by physically linking desert renewable energy directly to digital infrastructure.

The 500,000-kilowatt photovoltaic power station located in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region began operations recently. It signifies the first time that wind and solar resources from China's vast deserts are being funneled directly into data center loads through dedicated transmission lines, bypassing the traditional detours of the national power grid.

The facility is part of a larger 2-million-kW first-phase development involving a total investment of 8.7 billion yuan ($1.28 billion), which includes 1.5 million kW of wind power scheduled for full integration by September.

China established the "East Data, West Computing" initiative in 2022, a mega data project aimed at accelerating the development of an integrated national computing network.

Once the first phase is fully operational, it will provide 2.29 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually to the large computing base in Zhongwei, Ningxia.

At the heart of this project is the concept of "direct green power supply". Traditionally, renewable energy is fed into the public grid, where it mixes with coal-fired power before reaching consumers. Direct supply, however, utilizes dedicated "point-to-point" transmission lines and "dual-track" supply systems.

In the Zhongwei project, new data center loads are served via physical direct lines, while existing loads utilize bilateral market trading. This setup allows data centers to achieve a high "green power ratio" while significantly reducing transmission costs and carbon footprints.

To ensure stability, the project employs a wind-solar complementary model that sees PV power dominate during the day, while wind power takes over at night. It is supported by on-site energy storage to smooth out fluctuations.

The launch coincides with the nation's efforts to synchronize energy and digital strategies. The National Energy Administration recently said it would permit renewable energy projects to supply green electricity directly to multiple users via dedicated lines.

According to the NEA, new policies will be released in the near future to perfect these synergy frameworks, guiding the relocation of energy-intensive computing facilities to regions rich in renewable resources, such as Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions.

Experts believe the Zhongwei project provides a blueprint for the rest of the country.

"By establishing a direct physical link between the energy source and digital load, we are solving the geographical mismatch between where energy is produced and where data is processed," said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University."This not only lowers the power usage effectiveness of data centers, but also insulates the digital economy from electricity price fluctuations."

Looking ahead, the Zhongwei project plans a second phase that will bring total capacity to 4.6 million kW with a total investment of nearly 20 billion yuan.

As China continues to expand its digital infrastructure, the synergy between "bits" and "watts" is set to become the primary engine driving the nation's high-quality, low-carbon development, Lin said.