China has shown Europe how to build wind and solar power plants

In 2024, China again set a record for the launch of new wind and solar power plants. Europe, which is pushing the climate agenda more aggressively than all other regions of the world, is lagging behind China has quadrupled the rate of commissioning of new green energy capacities.

In 2024, the installed capacity of China's solar and wind generation increased by 45.2% and 18%, setting a new record, according to Reuters, citing the National Energy Administration of China.

The agency cites data that the capacity of solar power plants has increased from 609.49 GW in 2023 to 886.67 GW in 2024, and wind power - by 80 GW, to 520 GW.

Such indicators, both in terms of pace and total capacity, are a record not only for China, but also for the whole world. Greenpeace analysts have stated that by 2025 renewable energy will be able to meet all the growth in demand for new electricity in China.

At the same time, Europe, which is more aggressive than other regions of the world in promoting energy transition and abandoning the use of fossil fuels, cannot boast of such results. According to WindEurope, in 2024 in the countries The EU launched new power plants with a capacity of 15 GW and the total wind generation capacity was 231 GW. With solar power plants it turned out to be better. During the year, their capacity increased by 66 GW and amounted to 338 GW.

However, this is not only below the Chinese figures. The European Union is not fulfilling its own plans for energy transition.

Reuters notes that China in July reached the goal set for 2030.

"By 2030, the capacity of solar energy should significantly surpass coal, which still dominates the Chinese energy system, by 1780-1440 GW," said the state-owned oil company China National Petroleum Company.

Alexey Grivach, Deputy director of the National Energy Security Fund (NWF), noted to EADaily that the growth in the share of green generation in China does not threaten Russian gas supplies to China and new projects.

"China is also now increasing its consumption of coal, whose share in the energy balance is extremely large and requires replacement with cleaner and more reliable fuels, which include natural gas," the expert said. In his opinion, Beijing has a more balanced attitude to its energy policy than in the West, and will not officially oppose renewable energy and gas, realizing that both are needed for sustainable development.

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