China ramps up solar and wind capacity to 90 GW for 2021

The country recently vow to increase renewable consumption to 20% by 2025.

China has set up a new policy ordering transmission firms to connect a minimum of 90 GW of wind and solar capacity to the grid this year, according to the country’s National Energy Administration.

NEA also plans to set targets for the transmission of renewable power rather than the construction of new capacity in a bid to avoid waste and ensure that wind and solar plants can sell all their electricity on the market.

"China will no longer issue annual targets for renewable capacity, but will give forecasted renewable power consumption and guide local governments to arrange construction of new projects, as well as promote cross-region renewable power trade," NEA said.

China's installed wind and solar capacity has surged in recent years from 174 GW in 2015 (131 GW of wind and 43 GW of solar) to 535 GW in 2020 (281 GW of wind and 253 GW of solar), with record installations in 2020 (+72 GW of wind capacity and +49 GW of solar capacity).

Recently, China vowed to increase its renewable energy consumption to around 20% of primary energy use by 2025 and to around 25% by 2030.