WNAM REPORT: China’s installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power reached 1.482 billion kilowatts by the end of March, surpassing thermal power capacity for the first time in history, official data showed Friday.
With new installations continuing to grow rapidly, wind and solar power are expected to maintain their lead over thermal power, according to the National Energy Administration.
In the first quarter of this year, electricity generated from wind and photovoltaic sources reached 536.4 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 22.5 percent of China’s total power consumption – an increase of 4.3 percentage points compared with the same period last year.
Official data also showed that China’s total installed renewable energy capacity reached about 1.41 billion kilowatts by the end of 2024, making up more than 40 percent of the country’s total electricity capacity and exceeding that of coal-fired power.
China’s new energy industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years as the country intensifies efforts to decarbonize its economy.
Since 2013, China’s installed wind power capacity has grown sixfold, while solar power capacity has surged more than 180 times. Its annual new installations account for over 40 percent of the global total, making a significant contribution to global green development.
