China continues to dominate global wind and solar power, with manufacturing capacity twice that of the rest of the world combined

China is strengthening its position as a global leader in renewable energy development, with 180 GW of utility-scale solar power and 159 GW of wind power currently under construction. According to new data from the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), this total capacity of 339 GW is almost double the total capacity of the rest of the world. As highlighted in GEM’s latest Global Solar Power Tracker and Global Wind Power Tracker updates, the 339 GW under construction represents a third of all proposed wind and solar capacity in China, which would dwarf the global construction rate by just 7%. Is. This apparent contradiction underlines China’s active commitment to expanding its renewable energy projects.

China is making significant progress in renewable energy with plans to build 339 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale wind and solar projects, according to a report by US-based think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM). This capacity accounts for 64% of the global total, reflecting China’s leadership in this sector. In comparison, the United States ranks second with a project pipeline of 40 GW, more than eight times smaller than China’s. This highlights China’s strategic focus on the transition to clean energy sources.

China dominates global utility-scale solar and wind generation

About two-thirds of the world’s utility-scale solar and wind power capacity currently under construction is in China. Over the past year, China added nearly twice as much utility-scale solar and wind power capacity as any previous year. By the first quarter of 2024, China’s total utility-scale solar and wind capacity reached 758 GW, with the China Electricity Council reporting a total capacity of 1,120 GW including distributed solar. Wind and solar now account for 37% of the country’s total electricity capacity, an increase of 8% from 2022, and are widely expected to surpass coal capacity, which currently stands at 39%, by the end of 2024.

Explosive growth in solar and wind capacity

Between March 2023 and March 2024, China installed more solar capacity than in the previous three years and more than the rest of the world in 2023. Solar capacity overtook wind for the first time in 2022, and the gap has widened significantly since then. Rapid expansion of distributed solar energy. Nearly half of the distributed solar power added in 2023 was installed on residential rooftops, largely due to China’s “whole county solar” model. Distributed solar power now accounts for 41% of China’s total solar capacity, with a higher growth rate than centralized solar since 2021 due to lower investment costs, easier installation, and stronger policy support.

New installed wind capacity has also doubled compared to last year. After a brief slowdown in 2022 following the end of the central government’s feed-in tariff subsidy, wind installations picked up in 2023. GEM’s Global Wind Power Tracker projects an increase of 51 GW in wind capacity by 2023 – an increase that is greater than the total operating capacity of any country except the United States.

Future projections and provincial leaders

The combined capacity in pre-construction and announced phases reaches 387 GW for utility-scale solar and 336 GW for wind. This includes the second and third waves of “Mega Wind and Solar Bases” with a combined capacity of approximately 503 GW, which are expected to come online between 2025 and 2030. Most of the 97 GW came into operation in the first wave announced in 2021. 2023 is on schedule, pointing to a promising future for subsequent waves.

At the provincial level, GEM data shows that the North-West and Northern provinces dominate large-scale solar and wind installations, while distributed solar is rapidly changing the landscape in the Central and Southern provinces. Henan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have moved into the top five in terms of solar capacity compared to the beginning of 2023.

The top six provinces for wind installation – Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Gansu – account for 43% of the national total. Offshore wind is also taking off, with Jiangsu leading the country and Fujian witnessing the operation of the world’s largest single wind turbines at the Pingtan Offshore Wind Farm. Growth in offshore wind capacity in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian and Hainan is expected to change provincial rankings in the coming years.

Challenges and future outlook

Looking ahead, China could reach 1,200 GW of installed wind and solar capacity by the end of 2024, six years earlier than the pledge made by President Xi Jinping and a year earlier than last year’s GEM forecast. Despite not signing the triple renewable energy commitment at COP28, China supported the US government’s pledge in the Sunnylands Statement to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 from 2020 levels. If China continues to add 200 GW annually as planned by 2024, tripling renewable capacity by the end of 2030 is within reach.

However, challenges remain. China’s coal-centric grid must absorb the unprecedented growth in renewable energy and deliver it to areas in demand. Despite the rapid increase in electricity storage capacity, the grid is still heavily dependent on coal power to mitigate the interruption of renewable energy. Additionally, electricity transmission, which is largely deployed in the North and North-Western regions, depends on ultra high voltage (UHV) transmission lines, which are currently inadequate for sustained growth in renewable energy.

In 2023, China sees unprecedented growth in wind and solar capacity, ensuring its continued leadership in renewable energy installation. However, the country must address these challenges by deploying large-scale renewable energy generation to power generation, replace fossil fuels, and peak its carbon emissions as quickly as possible.