China's renewable energy share in power generation reaches new high

China's installed power generation capacity from new energy sources is growing rapidly, with the share of electricity generated reaching an all-time high.

From January to May, key national enterprises allocated over 70 percent of their total power investments to renewable energy generation.

In Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province, the main project of the world's first 'dual-tower solo generator' solar thermal energy storage power station has recently entered the commissioning phase. This power station uses molten salt to store excess solar energy, ensuring a stable and uninterrupted power supply around the clock.

When operational by the end of the year, the station will complement adjacent photovoltaic and wind power facilities. Together, they will form a 700,000-kilowatt multi-energy complementary clean energy hub that is expected to generate an annual electricity output of 1.8 billion kWh.

Additionally, a wind farm developed by China Datang Corporation Ltd. is under construction in Basu County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Located at an average altitude of 5,050 meters, the facility will feature 20 wind turbines upon completion and is expected to generate an annual electricity output of 223 million kWh for the region.

"From January to May, the installed capacity of new energy accounted for 53.4 percent of China's total installed power generation capacity, up by 4.7 percentage points compared to the same period last year. This indicates continued improvements in the power supply structure in China," said Yang Kun, executive vice president of China Electricity Council.

As the scale of renewable energy use expands, innovative technologies and models are continually emerging, driving the nation's advancement of modern electrical systems.

The first large-scale wind power and photovoltaic (PV) base project in the Yangtze River Delta region organically integrates PV, wind power, and energy storage. The base can boost power generation during high demand and store extra power when demand is low.

Moreover, China Southern Power Grid, the country's primary power grid operator, is employing AI to forecast the power needs of cities and provinces for the next 10 days. By analyzing data with over 30 AI algorithms, this approach ensures precise power dispatching.

Between January and May, 80 percent of China's new power generation capacity came from renewable sources. Additionally, the share of power generated by renewables has increased from 32 percent at the end of 2023 to 34.2 percent currently.

China's renewable energy share in power generation reaches new high

China is continuing to accelerate its green energy transition while meeting the considerable power demand, with renewable energy representing over 80 percent of the country's new installed power generation capacity.

The latest data showed that China's newly installed capacity for new energy power generation reached 258 million kilowatts from January to November, accounting for 81.5 percent of the total newly installed power generation capacity.

Experts say the renewable energy expansion can be partly attributed to China's efforts to accelerate the construction of new energy bases in its western areas to promote the distribution of new energy production in the more populous central and eastern parts of the country.

"For the next step, China's new energy power generation will be both centralized and distributed. It will also be land-based and sea-based. The generated power will be transmitted to other regions and consumed locally. We will continue promoting the construction of the wind and solar power generation bases in the sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts in the shelterbelt program in the northeast, north, and northwest regions of China. We will push forward the development of the water, wind, and solar power generation bases in southwestern China and the offshore wind power generation bases in eastern China. We will work to strengthen coordination in an effort to comprehensively diversify the supply of new energy," said Rao Jianye, director of the Clean Energy Research Institute under the China Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute.

China is also improving its new power system, keeping enhancing the system's capability for receiving and distributing new energy so as to support the country's energy transition.

As China races to construct more new energy storage projects like photothermal energy storage projects and compressed-air energy storage projects, so far, the country's new energy storage has a capacity of over 60 million kilowatts, marking a significant achievement in maintaining the stable operation of the country's power system.

By the end of July, China's total installed capacity of wind and solar power had exceeded 1.2 billion kilowatts, more than doubling the 2020 level and achieving the 2030 target six years ahead of schedule.

New energy represents over 80 pct of China's new installed power generation capacity