China Achieves Leapfrog Progress in Renewable Energy Development

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of prioritizing the development of new and clean energy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country’s renewable energy sector, represented by hydropower, wind power, and photovoltaic (PV) power generation has achieved leapfrog growth. China’s installed capacity of renewable energy has remained the largest in the world, while its share in total power generation has steadily increased. This transformation has led to an optimized energy structure and notable progress in reducing carbon emissions.

From January to May 2024, newly installed renewable energy capacity nationwide reached 43.49 million kilowatts, accounting for 82.1% of all newly installed power generation capacity in China, making renewable energy the primary source of new power capacity additions. In contrast, just a decade ago, new energy power generation contributed only 2.7% to the national energy mix. At that time, China’s energy structure was coal-dominated, with relatively low energy efficiency. While this system supported the country’s rapid economic growth, it also resulted in serious ecological and environmental challenges.

In June 2014, during the sixth meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively introduced a new energy security strategy, personally guiding the country’s efforts in revolutionizing energy consumption, energy supply, energy technology, and energy systems. Comprehensive international cooperation was strengthened to build a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system. Since the 18th Party Congress, China has issued a series of major strategic plans and policies for the energy sector, establishing a systematic framework to drive the nation’s energy revolution. Simultaneously, deep reforms in the electricity, oil, and gas markets have been carried out, with particular emphasis on fostering strategic emerging energy industries and identifying 15 key directions for energy technology innovation.

Over the past decade, China’s total installed capacity for renewable energy has reached 1.1 billion kilowatts. Installed capacities for hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic, and biomass power generation all rank first globally. Notably, the combined grid-connected capacity of wind and solar power alone has reached 670 million kilowatts, almost 90 times higher than in 2012.

China has also developed a relatively complete renewable energy technology and industrial system. In hydropower, the country now possesses the world’s largest independent design and manufacturing capabilities for one-million-kilowatt hydraulic generating units. In photovoltaic technology, rapid iterations have repeatedly set new global records for solar cell conversion efficiency. Wind power technology for low wind speeds, typhoon resistance, ultra-high towers, and high-altitude environments has also advanced to world-leading levels. In addition, 10-megawatt-class offshore wind turbines have entered mass production.

Renewable energy has made significant contributions to China’s ecological civilization development. In 2021 alone, renewable energy utilization in China was equivalent to 753 million tons of standard coal, avoiding approximately 2.07 billion tons of carbon dioxide, 400,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 450,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions.

In January 2022, during the 36th collective study session of the CPC Central Political Bureau, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly called for accelerating the development of a new energy system. This system is to be based on large-scale wind and solar power bases, supported by surrounding clean, efficient, and advanced coal power generation, and transmitted through safe, stable, and reliable ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission networks.