Renewables to Account for 40% of China's Energy Generation: CEC

According to a yearly report by the China Electricity Council (CEC), China's installed wind and solar capacity is expected to surpass coal for the first time this year. The report suggests that by the end of 2024, wind and solar power will account for around 40% of China's installed power generation capacity, while coal's share of the capacity is expected to be approximately 37%. At the end of 2023, wind and solar power had about 36% capacity, while coal had just under 40%.

The CEC predicts that China will have constructed approximately 1,300 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity by 2024, exceeding its official target of 1,200 GW by 2030. Additionally, the report states that in 2023, generating capacity from all non-fossil fuel sources, including nuclear and hydro, exceeded half the total for the first time.

However, the report does not provide an estimated breakdown for actual power generation, which is still primarily dominated by coal and responsible for nearly 60% of electricity consumption last year. The CEC also anticipates a 6% growth rate in power consumption this year, down from the 6.7% growth rate in 2023.