Yitong Solar Energy Industrial Base, the largest solar energy photo-thermal base in China's southwestern region was completed and put into operation in Kunming recently.

The solar energy photo-thermal base is located at the industrial park in the Guangdu District of Kunming. The first phase project of the base covers an area of 60 mu, its investment is 90 million yuan and its annual output is 500,000 solar energy collectors, ranking first in the 5 southwestern provinces. It is planned that the second phase project will cover an area of 200 mu with an investment of 240 million yuan. The project will introduce a world-class production line and will be able to produce 1.5 million square meters of up-market flat plate solar collectors annually. It is expected that the second-phase project will start construction in the first half of 2010.

Experts believes that the completion and operation of the base will have a practical and deep influence on Yunnan province's new energy industry, and market "reshuffle" has already started quietly.

Li Yongquan, the Board Chairman of the Yunnan Yitong Sunshine Technology Co., Ltd., said that in order to expand Yunnan province's new energy industry globally, they will strive to establish a new energy industry which takes vacuum pipe solar energy products as its foundation, mid and up-market flat plate solar energy products as its dominating position, and having a product line which contains photo-thermal, solar energy and air source products.

Solar energy annually received by Yunnan province is equal to 71.4 billion tons of standard coal, and Yunnan province is the third largest solar energy province in China.