6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, April 23, 2021 CHINA DAILY Solar power brightens rural Shanxi livelihoods “They also greatly benefit the envi­ ronment because of their zero emis­ sions.” Located at the east of the Loess Plateau, Shanxi is one of the most favorable locations in China to devel­ op solar power stations because of its access to abundant sunlight. Electricity generation In 2014, the province was selected projects using green by the State Council’s poverty reduc­ tion office and the National Energy technology create Administration as the country’s first jobs and incomes for pilot province in launching a photo­ voltaic industry targeting poverty once­poor villagers alleviation, according to Zhang Linyang, an official at the Shanxi Pov­ By YUAN SHENGGAO erty Alleviation Office. “With the strong support from Wu Qiang, a villager of Erji in Left: The solar farm in Xinyi township, Lishi district, in the city of Lyuliang includes photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs of central authorities, Shanxi has wit­ Daning county, North China’s Shanxi farmhouses that can meet local demand and supply electricity to the rest of Shanxi province. LIU LIANGLIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY Right: Residents nessed rapid growth in the photovol­ province, said “making a fortune in Zhonghe village in Yanggao county can get a per capita revenue of 260 yuan ($40) from the village’s solar panels. LIU TONG / FOR CHINA DAILY taic industry in impoverished areas,” from sunlight” used to sound like a Zhang said. story from Arabian Nights. According to the official, the least­ However, he now works patrolling upon farming infertile lands. ($46,000) to the village,” said Xu cern is the weather every day. They all used to be on the county’s developed counties and villages a solar farm near his home and does To help to lift villagers out of pover­ Yusheng, Party secretary of the vil­ “Sunlight means electricity and least­developed villages list. have been prioritized in the devel­ believe sunlight can generate money. ty, the county government of Daning lage. “The income has played a crucial revenue,” Feng said. “The power sta­ “We have solar power facilities in opment of solar­power facilities. The solar farm, owned and oper­ and the city government of Linfen — role in reducing poverty in Erji.” tion is just like a treasure chest, offer­ all the 53 least­developed villages in “About 43 percent of the poverty ated by the village, consists of which has Daning in its jurisdiction In addition to offering dividends to ing continuous support for poverty Linxian,” Gao said. “A total of 4,997 alleviation solar power stations about 400 photovoltaic panels on — signed an agreement with State villagers, the solar farm and power alleviation.” low­income families have benefited have been built in Shanxi’s 10 least­ 0.2 hectares of land. Electricity Grid in 2013 to launch a solar farm in station has offered jobs. In Linxian county in the city of from such facilities, as these offer div­ developed counties,” Zhang said. generated from the panels is con­ Erji. “The jobs, including safety guards, Lyuliang, there are a number of solar idends, rent and jobs to the resi­ “All the 58 counties that used to be nected to a nearby substation and With a power generation capacity cleaners and maintenance workers, farms and power stations of a much dents.” on Shanxi’s and China’s poverty list then transmitted to a power grid of 100 kilowatts, the solar farm began were mostly created for the low­in­ larger scale. In Zezhou county in Jincheng city, now have poverty­reduction solar that supplies electricity to the construction at the end of that year. come families,” Xu said. In the county’s Baiwen township, there are six village­owned and four power stations.” province. The project was completed and Ma Yue’en, a villager in his 80s, for instance, there is a solar farm cov­ township­owned poverty­alleviation To date, Shanxi has a total of 5,479 In addition to the stable monthly began operating in July 2014. It was is one of the beneficiaries. In addi­ ering more than 80 hectares. solar farms, which benefit 1,042 low­ poverty­alleviation solar power sta­ salary from the solar farm, Wu said the first village­operated solar farm tion to dividends, Ma receives an A poverty­alleviation project, the income families across 68 villages. tions owned and operated by villa­ he, as well as his fellow villagers, and power station in China. elderly subsidy and another for solar farm can generate 44 million Li Jinguo, an official of the county’s ges. Their installed power receives annual dividends. Construction of a second solar buying fertilizer from the village kilowatt­hours of electricity. energy bureau, said the solar power generation capacity totals 2.94 mil­ “All the villagers are stakeholders farm and power station, with a committee. According to Gao Zerong, an offi­ projects bring multiple benefits to lion kW. Net income from these pro­ of the solar farm,” Wu said. “We are capacity of 300 kW, began in 2018. “All the subsidies come from the cial of the Linxian committee of the residents. jects amounted to 1.96 billion yuan getting more dividends as the solar “The operation of the first solar revenues of the solar farm,” Ma said. Communist Party of China, the large “These projects create a stable in 2020, according to Zhang. farm’s profits increase year­by­year.” power station brought an average Feng Guoning, a worker at the solar farm and power station is source of revenue for low­income Erji used to be a village that relied annual net income of 300,000 yuan solar power station, said his top con­ owned and operated by six villages. families for at least 20 years,” Li said. Li Shu contributed to this story. He said BMW China is deeply New university’s vocational course involved in the content of the class. “In addition to equipment, BMW has designed the curriculum and dispatched teachers to the keeps the wheels turning for BMW class. “Upon the completion of in­cam­ By YUAN SHENGGAO The teacher said BMW China has lenging but rewarding for both stu­ pus training, students will have offered high­tech equipment and a dents and teachers.” internship opportunities in BMW’s The newly established Shanxi number of its latest cars to the Zhang said the course enrolls plants and dealerships in China.” Vocational University of Engineer­ course. One of the latest models is a about a dozen students each year, Zhang said this is a new model of ing Technology, based in Jinzhong fuel­cell hybrid vehicle. according to the requirements of vocational training, which features city, quickly received an order from “To keep up with the new develop­ BMW China. close collaboration between schools BMW China. ment trends of the automobile “This is one of the most popular and enterprises. It was a long­term deal to recruit industry, we have designed lessons but highly demanding courses in According to Zhang Zhushe, Par­ mechanics from the school each for conventional gasoline­powered, our university. Candidates have to ty secretary of Shanxi Vocational A drugstore owner is granted a certificate for selling medicines year. electric and hybrid vehicles,” Zhang pass strict assessments by both the University of Engineering Technol­ and medical equipment by the Jinzhong administrative service The university was founded on said. “To master the skills for the school and BMW before they are ogy, the school has similar innova­ bureau. ZHENG YANBO / FOR CHINA DAILY March 24 after the merger of three maintenance of such models is chal­ admitted to the course,” Zhang said. tions in its curriculum in a variety colleges in the province: the Busi­ of majors. These include civil engi­ ness College of Shanxi University; neering, information technology Shanxi Traffic Vocational and Tech­ and finance. Reforms make business nical College; and Shanxi College of Zhang Mingdong, an official in Architecture. charge of vocational education at As a result, the university inherit­ the Shanxi Department of Educa­ arena easier in province ed a course dedicated to training tion, said the university has set an mechanics for BMW. example in how to train skilled pro­ The course, called BMW intern­ fessionals for the high­quality devel­ By YUAN SHENGGAO things,” the official explained. ship base, is equipped with a variety opment of Shanxi. Taiyuan, the capital city of the of vehicles and testing and mainte­ “Vocational training should close­ Business owners in Shanxi are province; Jinzhong, a city in cen­ nance tools offered by BMW China, ly keep up with the trends of indus­ benefiting from an improved tral Shanxi; and the Shanxi according to Zhang Gengdang, an tries,” the official said. “There business environment in the Transformation and Compre­ associate professor in charge of it. should be innovations in curricu­ wake of the province reforming hensive Reform Demonstration Zhang said BMW China has invest­ lum design and school­enterprise its administrative service and Zone are the three regions pio­ ed in 18 similar internship bases in cooperation to train professionals streamlining approval proce­ neering the reform for adminis­ China. The class, which began in with both solid academic knowl­ dures to raise efficiency in trative services. Shanxi Vocational University of Engi­ Associate Professor Zhang Gengdang teaches students vehicle edge and hands­on skills.” March last year. Lu Guibin, chief of the Jinzhong neering Technology, is the only such maintenance skills at the BMW internship base in Shanxi Vocational Government institutions in administrative service bureau, base in North and Northwest China. University of Engineering Technology.