China on track to meet clean energy goals six years early

China, the world’s biggest polluter, is going green with clean energy alternatives, and doing it fast. Recent energy reports detail the country’s commitment to solar and wind power, so much so that it is expected to meet its 2030 clean energy goals by the end of the month.

As previously reported, renewable energy saw record growth in 2023 and is still on a growth trajectory. China, the world’s most populous country and consequently the world’s biggest CO2 polluter, has taken encouraging steps to go green, especially as its infrastructure becomes more energy-efficient thanks to a steady shift to electric vehicles and charging.

According to the Global Wind Report 2024, published in April this year by the Global Wind Energy Council, China set a new record by commissioning 75 GW of new installations, accounting for almost 65% of the world’s total capacity.

Just last month, China installed a massive 18-megawatt offshore wind turbine, the world’s largest by nameplate capacity, further contributing to the clean energy transition. Other countries have paid little attention to the effort, including Germany, which will install Chinese wind turbines on its own offshore wind farm.

In addition to wind power, China has fully embraced solar power as an alternative source of clean energy. In June, it launched a 3.5-gigawatt, 33,000-acre solar farm outside Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, the largest of its kind in the world. Not to be outdone, China has announced plans for a giant 8-MW solar farm under construction as part of an $11 billion integrated energy project led by state-owned energy firm China Three Gorges Renewables Group.

These efforts are paying off, as recent energy reports show that China is literally years ahead of schedule in meeting its end-of-the-decade clean energy goals. Take that to heart, everyone.

Clean energy installations in China continue to grow

According to the report of July 2, 2024 Climate and Energy Finance (CEF), China is on track to meet its 1,200 GW target for wind and solar installations this month. The original timeline for achieving this green energy target was 2030, so China is an impressive six years ahead of schedule with no signs of slowing down.

China installed 103.5 GW of clean power capacity in the first five months of 2024, while its thermal power additions fell 45% year-on-year, indicating a shift from coal and nuclear power to cleaner alternatives while meeting growing demand from local electricity grids.

As in 2023, solar energy remains the country’s leader in capacity additions, installing 79.2 GW between January and May 2024 and accounting for 68% of total new capacity. This figure is already up 29% year-on-year and continues to trend upward.

Wind was the second most installed form of new energy in China, with a total of 19.8 GW of new capacity so far in 2024, accounting for 17% of all new additions. Wind installations rose 21% year-on-year and, like solar, have shown continued growth since a record 2023.

According to the CEF, China’s total installed wind and solar capacity reached 1,152 GW by the end of May 2024 and, at the current pace, should exceed the 2030 target of 1,200 GW this month.

While China is quickly becoming a world leader in clean energy adoption, it still has some work to do. The country still relies heavily on coal-fired power plants and will need to phase out those facilities in favor of more sustainable options to fully offset its CO2 emissions.

Judging by its efforts over the past year, China appears to be doing just that, but it should by no means slow down its clean energy adoption. Keep moving the goalposts and keep the momentum going.