Aerial view of rice cultivation under solar panels at an agrivoltaic farm in Wenzhou, China’s Zhejiang province, August 3, 2022. Cai Kuanyuan/VCG via Getty Images
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ChinaThe central government of has set a target of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of power wind And solar capacity by 2030, but a new Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report indicates that the country is on track to double its current capacity and meet the goal five years early, according to a GEM press release.
“These new data provide unparalleled granularity on China’s staggering increase in solar and wind capacity. As we closely monitor the implementation of potential projects, this detailed information becomes indispensable in navigating the country’s energy landscape,” said Dorothy Mei, Project Manager at GEM, in the press release.
Almost all of the potential capacity is included in the Chinese government’s five-year plan for 2021 to 2025. It is enough to expand large solar installations by more than 85% and increase global wind capacity by almost half.
China’s potential wind capacity is about one-fifth of the world’s total, and its potential solar capacity is three times that of the United States.
“China is rapidly and successfully scaling up its deployment of renewable energy and has become the largest investor in renewable energies globally. This is both a cause and a consequence of the rapidly falling costs of renewables compared to coal-fired power,” Byford Tsangsenior policy adviser to climate think tank E3G, told CNN.
Last year, in response to severe heat waves and its worst drought in 60 years, China increased its coal capacity as rivers dried up, limiting hydropower along with demand for electricity. electricity was increasing.
This month, the Chinese hybrid solar hydroelectric plant Kela, which can generate enough electricity for more than 700,000 homes and is the largest in the world, has started operations, The Guardian reported.
The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers showed that utility-scale solar power in China is 228 GW, more capacity than all the rest of the planet.
China offshore wind Capacity is currently 31.4 GW, about 10% of the country’s total wind capacity and more than Europe’s total operational offshore wind capacity, the press release said.
China approved more coal power in the first quarter of this year than in all of 2021, The Guardian reported.
“China is making progress, but with coal still dominating as the dominant energy source, the country needs bolder progress in energy storage and green technologies for a secure energy future,” Martin said. Weil, researcher at GEM, in the press release.