A report from the US-based NGO Global Energy Monitor said that China is leading the world in renewable energy construction, building nearly twice as much wind and solar capacity as every other country combined. The second-biggest economy in the world, and the largest contributor of greenhouse gases, pledged to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2060.
Mega Renewable Energy Expansion
China currently has 339 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity under construction: 159 GW of wind and 180 GW of solar. That number towers over the rest of the world combined. The runners-up, in total, are building 40 GW in the United States. An analysis by BloombergNEF cites that about a third of the newly announced wind and solar capacity in China has already started construction. This is compared to an average of seven percent elsewhere globally.
“The huge difference in actual build-out rates between China and other countries shows that China is serious—active, in fact—about delivering on its renewable projects pipeline,” the study’s authors said.
Challenges and Grid Reliability
But beneath this impressive buildout lies a significant challenge to the growth of renewable energy in China. The national grid relies heavily on coal plants that belch acid rain-causing pollutants to handle surges in power demand. Transportation of renewable energy from its remote northwestern regions to the country’s economic and population centers in the East is yet another.
The report says, however, that the combined wind and solar capacity of China will overshadow that of coal this year. The rapid expansion of renewables is raising hopes that Beijing’s carbon emissions may peak earlier than expected.
Turning Point in Emissions Reduction?
An independent report out Thursday from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said China issued no new permits for coal-based steelmaking projects in the first half of 2024. For the first time on a half-yearly basis, new permits have not been issued since China aims to hit its “dual carbon goals” announced in September 2020, according to CREA.
“As China’s steel demand peaks and more scrap becomes available, there exists immense potential for offloading coal-based production, thus making this a big opportunity for emissions mitigation in the next 10 years,” the report from CREA said.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
Scientists are linking the rising cases of extreme weather to global warming. Chinese suffered from extreme weather several times in the past months, where the north was scorching in unbearable heat while the south was lashed by torrential rains. They caused lethal floods and landslides. Last Friday, China’s weather bureau said the temperature will soar high in the coming weeks due to climate change.
Future Outlook
China’s commitment to renewable energy is an important factor in the worldwide fight against climate change. The prospect of China achieving a balanced energy mix and grid reliability on the one hand, and its headlong expansion of wind and solar capacity on the other may turn out to be an example for other countries to follow. If it were successful in peaking earlier than scheduled, impacts on global emission reduction goals would be very significant.
It is further deduced that the turn of the nation away from coal-based production, in areas like steelmaking, is a big move towards low-carbon status. The world is keenly yearning to see whether China will do the same and continue being the global leader in renewable energy development.
In summary, the highly aggressive way in which renewable energy capacity is being built in China underlines its sincerity toward mitigating climate change. The potential benefits to the environment on a global scale are correspondingly huge. China is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases, and its actions over the next few years will be of terrible importance.