Capacity additions and current performance

In Q1 2025, China added 74.33 GW of new solar and wind power capacity. Total installed capacity of renewable energy sources reached 1,482 GW, including:

• Solar power plants: 946 GW,
• Wind power plants: 536 GW.
• Installed capacity of thermal power plants (coal, gas, fuel oil, biomass) was 1,451 GW.

Comparison with thermal generation

• For the first time, the combined capacity of solar and wind power plants exceeded the capacity of thermal generation.
• According to NEA, this gap will widen due to the higher rate of renewable energy introduction.

Generation and share in energy consumption

In Q1, solar and wind power plants generated 536.4 billion kWh, which amounted to 22.5% of total electricity consumption in China. A year earlier, this figure was 18.5%. The increase in renewable energy generation (+111 billion kWh) almost doubled the growth in electricity consumption (+58.2 billion kWh).

Conclusions

• Solar and wind energy are becoming the main source of new capacity in China.
• Thermal generation retains a significant share in generation, but its relative role is declining.
• Further development of renewable energy will require the modernization of the energy system, including storage and adjustable capacities.