China poised to double wind and solar capacity five years ahead of 2030 target

China is on track to double its utility-scale solar and wind power capacity and shatter the central government's ambitious 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) five years ahead of schedule, if all prospective projects are successfully built and commissioned, according to a new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers identify prospective projects that have been announced or are in the pre-construction and construction phases totalling approximately 379 GW of large utility-scale solar and 371 GW of wind capacity, which is roughly equal to China’s current installed operating capacity. 

Nearly all of this prospective capacity is part of the government’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and enough to increase the global wind fleet by nearly half and large utility-scale solar installations by over 85%. This amount of prospective solar capacity is triple that of the United States, and accompanied by China's significant share of approximately one-fifth of the global prospective wind capacity.

The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers also show:

• China's operating large utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228 GW – more than the rest of the world combined.
• China's combined onshore and offshore wind capacity has doubled from what it was in 2017 and now surpasses 310 GW.
• Operating offshore wind capacity has reached 31.4 GW, and accounts for approximately 10% of China's total wind capacity and exceeds the operating offshore capacity of all of Europe.