Wind and solar capacity to overtake coal in China this year — China Electricity Council

The country’s total electricity capacity is expected to rise 12% this year, reaching a cumulative total of 3.25TW by the end of 2024, the CEC forecasts.

Within that forecasted total, non-fossil fuel sources including renewables are projected to reach 1.86TW, increasing their share to 57% of China’s total power capacity by the end of the year. 

The CEC expects China to have 530GW of installed wind capacity by the end of 2024 plus 780GW of solar.

This means the forecasted joint capacity of over 1.3TW of wind and solar combined will exceed China’s stated target of topping 1.2TW from the two renewables sources by the end of the decade. 

By the end of this year, wind and solar along will make up 40% of China’s entire power capacity, while coal will account for 37%, the CEC projected.

Wind and solar combined stood at around 36% of China’s capacity by the end 2023, compared to coal at 40%.

The surge in renewables comes amid a rise in China’s electricity demand, with power consumption projected to increase 6% to 9,220TWh in 2024, according to the CEC.