China Surges to Meet the 2030 Renewable Energy Target Ahead of Time, Set to Double the Solar and Wind Energy Capacity

According to a report recently published by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), China is projected to double its utility-scale solar and wind power capacity by 2025. If all planned projects come to fruition on time, China is on track to exceed its ambitious 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) five years ahead of schedule. 

The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers has identified prospective projects that have been recently announced and are in the pre-construction and construction phases. These projects amount to around 379 GW of large utility-scale solar capacity and 371 GW of wind capacity. This almost matches China’s existing installed operating capacity, effectively doubling its renewable energy capacity.

The perspective capacity aligns with the Chinese government’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), reflecting China’s strategic renewable energy goals. If realized, this surge in capacity would contribute to an expansion of the global wind fleet by almost half and a growth of over 85% in large utility-scale solar installations. Notably, this prospective solar capacity is triple that of the United States.

Indicating the substantial scale of China’s renewable energy development, the Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers also show additional findings. Surpassing the combined solar capacity of the rest of the world China’s existing large utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228 GW. Furthermore, the country’s combined onshore and offshore wind capacity has doubled since 2017 and now exceeds 310 GW. China’s operating offshore wind capacity stands at 31.4 GW, accounting for approximately 10% of its total wind capacity. China surpasses the offshore wind capacity of all European nations.