Jinko Power signed a framework agreement with Zhongwei to develop a 1 GW data center in Ningxia, marking its entry into green computing under China’s ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ initiative. However, the project remains subject to approvals and funding review.
Jinko Power announced on April 16 that it has signed an investment agreement with the Zhongwei Municipal Government to develop a 1 GW data center project in Zhongwei, Ningxia Province, marking the Shanghai-listed solar power plant operator’s entry into the green computing segment.
The company said it will use its experience in renewable energy to expand into computing infrastructure.
The project is expected to be located in the Xuanhe section of the Zhongwei data center cluster, covering approximately 534,000 m2. It involves a planned investment of approximately CNY24.5 billion ($3.4 billion) and is designed for approximately 50,000 standard racks with a total IT load of 1 GW, which will be built in three phases: 400 MW in phase one, followed by 300 MW in each of phases two and three.
Jinko Power said it will be responsible for infrastructure construction and lifecycle operations, while revenue is expected to come mainly from rack leasing and related data hall services rather than from the supply of servers or chips.
The Zhongwei project is expected to be part of China’s broader effort to meet rising demand for digital infrastructure under the national ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ initiative. Launched in February 2022, the program is a large-scale effort to move data generated in resource-constrained eastern regions to energy-rich western regions for storage and processing.
Jinko Power described the move as an expansion of its renewable generation and energy services platform, while also acknowledging that the project remains preliminary and subject to multiple approvals. The company also warned that the agreement is only a framework agreement. The final project scope, investment plan and implementation path may change materially, or the project may be terminated, depending on national approvals, land transfer and the introduction of strategic partners.
Jinko Power added that the planned investment is significantly higher than the current cash position and said it plans to bridge the gap through direct and indirect financing, together with external investors.
The announcement immediately attracted attention from the Shanghai Stock Exchange, which issued a regulatory working letter on the listed company, its directors and senior executives the same evening. According to public reports, the exchange’s concerns focused on the feasibility of financing, disclosure discipline, the commercial logic of a cross-sector expansion of computing infrastructure and the company’s internal decision-making procedures.
As of April 20, no public written response from the company had been announced and the move had not escalated into a formal investigation or fine. The announcement also led to renewed confusion between Jinko Power and JinkoSolar. They are separately listed, separately traded companies with different shareholder structures and governance.
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