BEIJING: A photovoltaic project in Chamdo, Xizang autonomous region, deployed robots to install solar panels while cutting construction risks, according to the project manager.
The application took place at a 300-megawatt solar project in Yechen township, Pashoi county, where construction teams were working at elevations above 4,300 meters. The project began construction in August 2025.
Built on around 357 hectares with an investment of 980 million yuan ($143.5 million), the project is designed to supply electricity mainly to the Chamdo area and other areas in the region. Once fully operational, it is expected to generate about 530 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of around 1.38 million people, according to the project team.
Harsh conditions, including thin air, low temperatures, and a construction window of only about five months each year, have posed major challenges for manual installation. To address this, the project introduced four intelligent photovoltaic installation robots on a trial basis.
“The goal is to test robotic solutions in high-altitude construction and accumulate experience for future large-scale projects,” said Yang Shuanglong, the project manager.
Each robot can install about 100 solar panels per hour, roughly doubling the efficiency of manual work, Yang said. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
