China’s combined wind and solar power capacity has officially surpassed coal power for the first time, marking a key milestone in the country’s energy transition, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).
As of March 2025, the installed capacity of wind power grew by 17.2%, and solar power surged by 43.4% year-on-year. This led to a historic moment where the total capacity of wind and solar energy exceeded that of coal power, said Xing Yiteng, deputy director-general of the NEA’s development and planning department, during a news briefing in Beijing on Monday.
The share of non-fossil energy consumption in China increased by 1.5 percentage points compared to last year, Xing added.
Experts believe China’s leadership in renewable energy production is reshaping the country’s energy strategy. The rapid expansion of solar energy is particularly notable. According to Rystad Energy’s vice-president of renewables, Zhu Yicong, China’s solar photovoltaic capacity is set to exceed 1,000 gigawatts by mid-2025, breaking previous records.
As wind and solar power continue to grow, the NEA predicts that surpassing coal power will become more common. A report by the China Electricity Council revealed that, as of March, coal power’s share of total capacity across all provincial-level regions had fallen below 50%. The report also highlighted the surge in power grid investments, driven by the integration of renewable energy, grid digitalization, and major projects like ultra-high voltage transmission lines.
In the first quarter of 2025, investment in power grid engineering reached 95.6 billion yuan ($13.19 billion), a 24.8% year-on-year increase. Investment in grid equipment surged even further, growing by 59.5%.
Looking ahead, the report forecasts steady economic growth in China through 2025, with electricity consumption expected to reach 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours, a 6% increase from the previous year. The maximum peak load is projected to be around 1.55 billion kilowatts.
By the end of 2025, non-fossil fuel power generation capacity is expected to reach 2.3 billion kilowatts, accounting for more than 60% of the country’s total installed capacity. Coal power’s share is projected to drop to about one-third by the end of the year.
In addition to wind and solar energy, China is making significant progress in hydrogen production. The country has become the world’s top producer and consumer of hydrogen, with annual production and consumption exceeding 36.5 million metric tons in 2024. China also leads the global renewable hydrogen sector, accounting for more than half of the world’s cumulative production capacity, which surpassed 250,000 tons per year by the end of 2024.
This rapid growth places China at the forefront of renewable hydrogen development, with the government actively supporting technological innovation and industrial policies in the sector.
Related Topics:
- Satellite Data: Australia Likely Undercounted Coal Methane
- US Coal Unlikely to Threaten Australia’s Lead in China: Analysts
- Finland Shuts Down Last Coal Plant, Marking Major Step Toward Clean Energy