United States tech giant Apple, Inc. said that it will help build Southwestern China’s first global solar project, which aims to provide power to nearly 61,000 homes adding 80 million kilowatt hours annually.
Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president for environmental endeavors, expressed her positive outlook toward the project. "We are excited about the amount because it will generate far more energy than is being used by all of our offices and retail stores in China," she said.
To date, the tech veteran has a total of 21 retail branches and 19 corporate offices (17 in the mainland and two in the special administrative region of Hong Kong) in the country.
The solar project will include 85 miles apart of arrays of panels, which will be located in the Zoige and Hongyuan counties.
The environmental initiative will add China in Apple's roster of countries that provide renewable energy to its facilities. The list already includes the U.S., the U.K., Spain, Italy, Australia and Germany.
Jackson revealed that for this undertaking, Apple will tap old and new business partners including the U.S.-based SunPower and four Chinese firms--Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Tianjin Jinlian Investment Holding Co. Ltd., Leshan Electric Power Company, and Sichuan Development Holding Co. Ltd.
In a SunPower press release, the two arrays of solar panels will have a 20-megawatt capacity. The statement also revealed that the project will be co-owned by the U.S. firm and Apple.
"We are very proud that we come up with technologies that actually complement the natural environment and preserve the grassland, so that the area can still be used for grazing even as it is producing such a huge amount of clean energy," Jackson enthused.
The Apple executive has also high hopes that this endeavor will serve as a model of the company's other suppliers in China. Currently, it has 334 suppliers in the country.
In Apple's plan to power its facilities around the globe with 100 percent renewable energy, the tech giant has already achieved 87 percent by far.