By Gavin Maguire
LITTLETON, Colorado (Reuters) – China’s wind farms produced more than 100 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in March, the highest monthly total ever by a single country and as much as all of Europe and North America combined, data from energy think tank Ember shows.
The production total was 25% more than the same month in 2023, helping to extend China’s dominant position as by far the world’s largest producer of renewable energy.
Total Chinese production in March was more than twice that of the United States, the second-largest wind energy producer, and almost nine times that of Germany, the third-largest producer.
However, the March figure could also be the highest of the year, as seasonal changes in wind speed mean that China’s annual peak for wind production typically occurs around March or April, before tapering off in the summer as wind speeds decrease.
Nevertheless, the production record marks a new milestone for clean energy trackers and ensures that China remains the leading driver of global clean energy production.
WIDESPREAD PROGRESS
China’s wind power generation comes from several large wind facilities across the country.
Some areas, especially Inner Mongolia in the north and Xinjiang in the west, are home to some of the world’s largest wind farms and are responsible for the majority of China’s wind energy production.
But the expansion of wind generation capacity is happening in all regions, resulting in a growing volume of clean energy in all major power-consuming regions.
And production in all provinces, including Guangdong in the south, Yunnan in the southwest, Anhui in the east and Heilongjiang in the northeast, have recorded near-record high production totals so far in 2024.
That widespread increase in wind production has helped push wind energy’s share of total electricity generation in China higher and higher, from 9.6% in all of 2023 to an average of 11.4% in the first quarter of 2024, Ember said.
That share compares with about 62% for coal and about 12% for hydropower, making wind power China’s third largest source of electricity.
Solar energy occupied a roughly 6% share of China’s total electricity generation in 2023, and is likely to expand that share in 2024 thanks to the continued increase in solar energy generation capacity in the country.
Solar energy will also play a crucial role in boosting electricity generation during the summer months, when China’s overall energy demand is at its highest due to the rapidly increasing use of air conditioners.
But wind farms are likely to remain China’s leading source of renewable energy for the foreseeable future, thanks in large part to their ability to produce electricity even when the sun is not shining, and from locations spread across the country and often close to major demand centers.
Further growth in domestic wind power generation capacity is also expected from 2024 and beyond as part of Beijing’s ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
This means that even higher numbers of wind power generation can be expected in the future, helping China maintain its position as a global leader in the wind power sector.
