EcoChina | Renewable energy revives Mianchuan Island in E China's Jiangxi

JIUJIANG, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Mianchuan Island, located in the Jiangxi section of the Yangtze River and surrounded by water, covers an area of 104 square kilometers. It can be reached by a ten-minute ferry ride from Madang Ferry Terminal in Jiujiang City.

Previously, the island relied on a single 35-kilovolt power supply line, which was prone to voltage fluctuations and outages during extreme weather, restricting both residents' daily life and industrial development.

In 2021, a local wind power project was planned and constructed, integrating wind, solar, energy storage, agriculture, and tourism resources to create a green model of a "zero-carbon island" in the Yangtze River Basin. In May 2025, with the grid connection of the final wind turbine, the large-scale renewable energy-powered "zero-carbon island" in the Yangtze River Basin officially began operation.

The project includes 18 wind turbines and photovoltaic facilities, generating 244 million kilowatt-hours annually, equivalent to saving 96,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 240,000 tons each year. Since its launch, the project has produced 150 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, fully meeting the power needs of the island's 32,000 residents and supplying over 100 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity off the island.

Moreover, the entire project has created more than 500 new jobs. Currently, the island's zero-carbon facilities, including energy storage systems, photovoltaic carports, and charging stations, operate efficiently, revitalizing Mianchuan Island through green development.