China, renewables surpass coal for the first time
Energy — di Andrea Barolini
China's installed capacity of solar and wind power has exceeded that of coal. But Beijing is still developing the most dangerous fossil fuel source.
China, renewables surpass coal for the first time
China's installed capacity of solar and wind power has exceeded that of coal. But Beijing is still developing the most dangerous fossil fuel source.
China is placing an increasingly strong bet on renewable energy. On Friday 25 April, Beijing's authorities announced that, for the first time, wind and solar have surpassed coal in terms of installed capacity. This was made possible by a major acceleration that has taken place above all during the current year.
Renewables reach 1.482 billion kW of installed capacity in China
"In the first quarter of 2025, new installations of wind turbines and solar panels amounted to 74.33 million kW (kilowatts) of capacity, bringing the total connected to China's grid to 1.482 billion kW", announced the Asian nation's energy administration. This has made it possible to overtake coal, which stands at 1.451 billion kW.
📯🇨🇳China's renewables (Wind+Solar) installed capacity has, for the first time, exceeded fossil fuel-based thermal power generation
🌞Though, there is still a long way to go to decarbonise China's power generation & energy geopolitics will continue to influence this process
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🌞Though, there is still a long way to go to decarbonise China's power generation & energy geopolitics will continue to influence this process
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This is obviously good news, even if at the same time these figures highlight just how significant the presence of the single most harmful energy source for the climate remains in China's energy mix. In terms of energy production (as opposed to installed capacity), coal still accounts for 60 per cent of the total. This is a problem not only for Beijing but for the entire world, since, as is well known, the warming of the Earth's atmosphere is a global issue. Add to this the United States' announced withdrawal from efforts to mitigate climate change, and it becomes clear just how far the planet still is from a trajectory that would guarantee a peaceful future for coming generations.
China also sets a new record for new coal plants
Yet while Washington is pushing to revive fossil fuel sources, in China at least the path of the energy transition appears to have been set. The Asian economic giant alone now builds twice as many wind and solar farms each year as all other countries in the world combined (in terms of installed capacity). And in 2024 it broke a world record in this regard — one it already held — with 277 gigawatts of new photovoltaic solar capacity, compared to 217 in 2023, representing a year-on-year growth of 28 per cent. Added to this are 80 gigawatts of new wind installations, according to official data from the National Energy Administration.
🇨🇳 NEW | #China monthly #energy & #AirPollution snapshot out now in EN & CN👇
🌿 In March 2025, China's renewables met total power demand growth as coal declined
🌿 In March 2025, China's renewables met total power demand growth as coal declined
Of course, for such policies to be truly effective, as noted, it would be necessary at the same time to progressively shut down coal-fired power plants. On the contrary, last year new plants of this type were also built at the fastest rate recorded since 2015. We are talking, in total, about new power stations with a combined installed capacity of 94.5 gigawatts, representing 93 per cent of the global total.
"This is how Beijing is undermining the benefits of renewable energy development"
According to Qi Qin, author of a report on China's energy situation produced by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), based in Finland, and the American organisation Global Energy Monitor (Gem), "China's rapid expansion of renewables, which could reshape its electricity system, is being undermined by the simultaneous large-scale expansion of coal plants". President Xi Jinping has assured that his country's efforts to combat the climate crisis "will not slow down, regardless of how the international situation evolves". But time is running short, and far greater efforts will be needed to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement of 2015.