Xi Jinping's green energy push gives China top renewable energy dividends

China is on track to double its energy capacity and generate 1,200 gigawatts of power through wind and solar sources by 2025,according to a report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that monitors renewable energy projects,

The world's second largest economy is thus poised to surpass its 2030 target five years ahead of schedule.

The report highlights that China currently has a utility-scale solar capacity of 228 gigawatts, which exceeds the combined capacity of the rest of the world. The majority of these installations are concentrated in the northern and northwestern provinces of Shanxi, Xinjiang, and Hebei.

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Furthermore, the report identifies ongoing construction of solar farms that could add an additional 379 gigawatts of capacity, surpassing the combined capacity of the United States and Europe.

China's renewable energy push: Focus on wind power too

China has also made significant progress in wind power, with a combined onshore and offshore capacity more than310 gigawatts, the report found.

This is double what it was in 2017 and equivalent to the combined capacity of the next top seven countries.

With upcoming projects in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, and coastal regions, China is expected to add another 371 gigawatts by 2025, effectively increasing the global wind power fleet by almost 50 per cent.

China's green energy push

China's push for green energy is part of its commitment to dual carbon goals established in 2020.

As the world's second-largest economy and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pledgedto achieve peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Climate Change challenge

Heatwaves and droughts in recent years have disrupted China's hydropower stations, leading to power shortages that affected industrial operations.

"While China is making progress, it needs to make bolder advancements in energy storage and green technologies to ensure a secure energy future, especially with coal still dominating as the primary power source,"Martin Weil, a researcher at Global Energy Monitor and a report author, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

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