Jinko Power Plans $3.6 Billion Solar-Powered 1GW Data Center in Western China
June 12, 2026
Jinko Power Plans $3.6 Billion Solar-Powered 1GW Data Center in Western China
Chinese solar energy firm Jinko Power, a subsidiary of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer Jinko Solar, has signed a framework investment agreement to develop a 1-gigawatt data center in the Ningxia region of western China. The project, which will be powered directly by an adjacent solar plant, marks the company’s entry into the data center market and aligns with China’s strategic push to relocate computing infrastructure to its western provinces.
According to reporting from Nikkei, the company inked the preliminary deal with the Zhongwei municipal government to construct the facility in the desert. The project is estimated to cost RMB 24.5 billion, equivalent to approximately $3.6 billion, and will span more than 534,000 square meters, or 5.75 million square feet. Jinko Power plans to deploy roughly 50,000 standard server racks across three phases, with a provisional completion date set for 2028. However, the agreement is still subject to multiple regulatory approvals and remains preliminary in nature.
The initiative is closely tied to China’s ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ policy, which encourages the development of data centers in the country’s less populated western regions. These areas offer abundant clean energy potential and a more temperate climate, which can significantly improve cooling efficiency for large-scale computing operations. Jinko Power, headquartered in Shanghai, currently operates as the utility-scale solar arm of Jinko Solar, with an installed capacity of 6.5 gigawatts and a domestic project pipeline exceeding 30 gigawatts.
Industry observers note that the move reflects a broader trend among energy companies diversifying into digital infrastructure, particularly as demand for AI and cloud computing drives the need for large-scale, low-carbon data centers. By integrating solar generation directly with data center operations, Jinko Power aims to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, potentially setting a precedent for future projects in China’s renewable-rich western regions.
Source: datacenterdynamics
