Thin-film solar manufacturer First Solar just signed an agreement with Chinese officials earlier today for what is currently considered the world’s largest photovoltaic power plant, a 2,000-megawatt solar farm in the Mongolian desert. The project is slated for completion in 2019 and represents just a small part of an 11,950-megawatt renewable energy park intended for Ordos City, in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia. It will be developed in installments, starting in June 2010, and will have the capacity to generate enough power for 3 million Chinese homes upon completion, according to First Solar.

And that’s not all that the Arizona-based solar company has in the pipeline for the world’s most populous country:

First Solar, the globe’s largest photovoltaic cell manufacturer, will also likely build a factory in China to manufacture thin-film solar panels, according to Mike Ahearn, the company’s chief executive. “It is significant that a non-Chinese company can land something like this in China,” said Mr. Ahearn in an interview.

And Mr. Ahearn is right: while the Chinese government has begun doling out generous government support in recent months, much of it has been intended for domestic businesses. This drive to bolster home-grown manufacturers has made it difficult for foreign manufacturers—no matter how established—to receive government approval for large-scale solar projects in China. For First Solar to land this deal is no small feat, and perhaps a testament to both the attractiveness of the Chinese solar market (you can bet First Solar lobbied hard for this contract) and the clout of the American manufacturer. Let’s hope many more international projects for our solar companies will follow.