URUMQI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 1,000-megawatt power project combining solar thermal and photovoltaic power generation has been connected to the grid in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, becoming a model for the region in making better use of renewable energy. A 100-megawatt molten salt solar thermal section of the project has adopted advanced Linear Fresnel technology -- one of the most advanced solar thermal power generation methods, using the principles of light reflection and refraction to convert solar thermal energy into electricity. It can generate 148 million kilowatt-hours of clean power annually, which will reduce carbon emissions by 1.3 million tonnes. Electricity generated from clean energy has accounted for more than half of the increase in the country's total electricity consumption over the past decade, demonstrating the growing share green energy has in its energy mix. According to the group's general manager Qiu Yong, the city's central location within Xinjiang's major wind power zones helps cut transport costs.