For an incredible 15 years in a row, the Chinese mainland has been #1 in installed wind power capacity worldwide 🌎💨. According to the latest numbers from the China Electricity Council released on Sunday, the mainland now clocks in at a total of 580 million kilowatts (kW) of wind power capacity—about 15.7% of its total generation capacity.
Year after year, the growth has been insane: new grid-connected wind capacity jumped by over 100 million kW on average. This year alone, the Chinese mainland added 57.84 million kW of fresh wind capacity.
In practical terms, that means big industrial players (think businesses with at least CNY 20 million, roughly US$2.8 million, in annual revenue) get 10.1% of their electricity from wind turbines. That's massive when you consider how much power those factories suck up.
Qin Haiyan, secretary-general of the Chinese Wind Energy Association, says that by 2035 non-fossil energy could make up over 30% of total energy use, and combined wind and solar generation capacity could be 6 times the levels of 2020 (over 3.6 billion kW). The targets also include reaching 1.3 billion kW of wind by 2030 and 5 billion kW by 2060, paving the way for carbon neutrality in the energy sector.
On the global stage, turbine makers from the Chinese mainland have exported units to 57 countries and regions across six continents. Seven of these manufacturers are already setting up overseas factories or finalizing plans to do so.
What does this mean for young clean-energy fans in South Asia and Southeast Asia? With the mainland pushing hard on renewables, we can expect cooler tech innovations, more cross-border collaborations, and perhaps better access to green-energy equipment closer to home. From Tamil Nadu’s coastal wind farms to Vietnam’s onshore projects, the region stands to benefit from this big push.
Keep an eye on the Chinese mainland’s next five-year plan (2026–2030), aiming for at least 120 million kW of new capacity annually—enough to power millions of smartphones and EVs with clean breeze power 🌱📱⚡.
Stay tuned for more updates as the global wind energy scene whips up fresh opportunities and innovations right in our backyard!
Reference(s):
China tops world in installed wind power capacity for 15 years
cgtn.com
