Georgios Chatzistylianos is a Greek engineer with the European branch of Guohua Energy Investment Co., Ltd. (Guohua Investment), a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corporation Co., Ltd. Recently he shared his transformative experience visiting China with his colleagues in Greece. He highlighted how the Chinese philosophy of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” offers fresh perspectives on enhancing safety, environmental protection, and ecological coordination in wind power projects.
Staffs having safety briefing before turbine climb at Guohua Investment’s Huitengliang Wind Farm [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
In early August, Georgios visited Huitengliang Wind Farm, operated by the Mengdong Branch of Guohua Investment in Inner Mongolia. Spanning the expansive grasslands, nearly a hundred wind turbines from China’s CSSC Haizhuang Windpower Co., Ltd., India’s Suzlon 1.25MW, and the U.S. GE 1.5MW models respectively have been operating in harmony for 16 years. Georgios described the site as “both a wind power technology museum and a natural museum,” praising the project team’s vision and management.
Since its inception in 2006, Huitengliang Wind Farm has prioritized ecological protection. The team implemented an innovative “topsoil bank” approach: the top 30 cm of soil, rich in seeds, microorganisms, and organic matter, was carefully removed, stored, and preserved during construction, then restored to allow natural regeneration. Within three to five years, the grasslands recover to their pre-development state, retaining the land’s original ecological environment. Over 18 years, the farm has supplied 35.213 billion kWh of green electricity to Inner Mongolia — enough for 23.88 million people over two years — and reduced air pollutants equivalent to planting 1.514 billion trees. The once barren land has been transformed into a thriving ecological and economic asset.
A view of the Huitengliang Wind Farm, operated by Mengdong Branch of Guohua Investment in Inner Mongolia [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The project also emphasizes social responsibility. It created over 1,000 jobs, trained local engineers, and partnered with local governments to help villagers develop livestock and specialty industries, raising per capita income by 30,000 yuan and lifting entire villages out of poverty. The smart operations system monitors turbine status in real time. Combining online vibration sensors with oil spectrum analysis allows engineers to predict potential wear at least 30 days in advance, arranging preventive maintenance and reducing costly unplanned downtime.
Zhang Zhihao, general manager of Guohua Investment in Europe, said that the company will use Greece as a model to localize the philosophy of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, transform green development into tangible cooperative outcomes, contributing Chinese expertise and solutions to global energy transition.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
