The Tarim Desert Highway, which traverses the slot Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has been turned into a zero-carbon one, thanks to a transformation project completed earlier this month for the irrigation system along its shelterbelt.

After the transformation project, shrubs along the highway are now irrigated with the help of solar power-fueled pumps, instead of diesel ones.The project is estimated to cut diesel consumption by about 1,000 tonnes and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

by 3,410 tonnes per year, according to PetroChina's Tarim oilfield branch, which is in charge of the project.The Tarim Desert Highway was completed in 1995. Cutting through China's largest desert, it reduced the distance from the regional capital Urumqi to Hotan by 500 km.