China's Energy SOEs Are Getting Greener, Deserts Are Being Turned Into Power Plants

China has begun to encourage state-owned energy companies to move more aggressively in the green sector. This direction is seen from new projects that not only reduce emissions, but also turn deserts into power plants and combine clean energy with agriculture and the marine industry.

According to a report by China Daily, quoted on Tuesday, March 31, the push follows the 2026 Government Work Report, which calls for accelerated green transformation across all economic and social sectors.

In the Qinling Mountains, for example, China National Chemical Engineering Group is carrying out an ecological restoration project that includes mountains, rivers, forests, and wetlands. The area of land restored reaches 5,285 hectares.

CNCEC Chairman Mo Dingge said China's chemical engineering industry is moving fast and can no longer be separated from environmental protection affairs. Therefore, the Qinling project is said to continue to be maintained as part of the green development mission.

"The scope of chemical engineering is very broad, and ecological protection is now an important part of our main responsibilities," Mo said, as written by China Daily, adding that his company will continue to maintain the Qinling project to carry out the mission of green development.

A similar impetus is seen in the energy sector. Chairman of China National Nuclear Power, Lu Tiezhong, said that the nuclear power plants they manage are guarded like a park. He even said that the pearls in the water channels around the nuclear power plant produce good quality pearls because of the appropriate water temperature. For his company, waste is not seen as something to be thrown away, but rather an untapped resource.

The 2026 Government Work Report also confirms another target, namely strengthening ecological governance and accelerating the low-carbon green economy. The impact is beginning to be felt in the construction sector. Feng Yuan, chief engineer of China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute, assessed that the building sector, which has been a major contributor to emissions, must change. He imagines a safe future home, using green materials, and able to adapt to the needs of its residents.

Still according to the China Daily report, on a broader level, Chinese energy companies are beginning to integrate various sectors. Chairman of China Huadian Corp, Jiang Yi, is pushing for the integration of "New Energy Plus", including the development of green hydrogen and new generation nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Corp, Yang Changli, highlighted the "photovoltaic plus agriculture" and "sea farming plus offshore wind" models.

The model is starting to be implemented. In Hotan, Xinjiang, a joint project of biological and photovoltaic technology is used to control sand on 1,467 hectares of land while turning the desert into a power plant. In Jilin, a new project is developing a full green cycle from wind, solar, to hydrogen to reduce industrial emissions.

Chinese government data shows energy consumption per unit of GDP fell 5.1 percent in 2025. The figure shows Beijing's green agenda is beginning to be seen on the ground.