According to a new study, the amount of electricity generated by wind and solar farms is growing in China and could help limit global carbon emissions much faster than expected.
Solar panel installation alone is growing at a rate that would increase global solar power generation capacity by 85% by 2025.
According to the report, the country’s “green energy” targets for 2030 must be surpassed five years ahead of schedule.
But the number of highly polluting coalfired power plants is also increasing, partly as a replacement for all new wind and solar farms, according to the study’s authors.
China’s actions are often seen as central to the planet’s efforts to curb the carbon emissions that are at the root of climate change.
The country is the world’s largest consumer of coal, mainly for power generation. Coal consumption is responsible for about 69% of China’s carbon emissions.
However, this new study shows that China is rapidly increasing its wind and solar generation capacity, which could go a long way in mitigating the impact of rising temperatures.
The survey was conducted by the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), an independent research group whose work is widely used by the World Bank, the International Energy Agency and governments.
BBC
The report looks at China’s currently installed “green energy” capacity, but also forecasts what has been announced and what is under construction over the next two years.
He points out that China now has more solar panels installed in major projects than the rest of the world combined. The country has doubled its wind power capacity since 2017.
But that seems to be just the beginning. According to GEM, China is rapidly expanding this sector and will more than double its wind and solar power capacity by the end of 2025.
This would result in China increasing global turbine volume by 50% and global large solar arrays by 85% compared to current levels.
This current surge is the end result of plans spanning more than two decades.
At that time, China became the world’s leading supplier of solar panels and reduced costs throughout the supply chain. This has helped make solar and wind power plants in China economically competitive.
BBC
Subsidies played an important role, as did regulations that required each province to meet “green energy” goals.
China accounted for 55% of the US$500 billion invested in wind and solar power worldwide in 2022.
In 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country will install more than 1,200 gigawatts of solar and wind power by 2030. This new report states that this target will be exceeded five years ahead of schedule.
While this could be important news for curbing global warming, China’s use of coal remains a major challenge.
In 2022, the country was building about two new coalfired power plants per week — many on new solar and wind farms, often to provide backup power and ensure power continuity.
“The big question going forward is how these coal plants will actually be used,” Weil said.
“They are expected to be deployed in a way that maximizes the renewabletocoal ratio.”
Other key indicators will be the development of battery storage and the rise of hydrogen both of which will be crucial to help China successfully move away from coal.