China is the world’s biggest polluter – and it’s also the world’s leader in clean energy growth. China’s cumulative installed onshore and offshore wind capacity has now reached 302.2 gigawatts (GW), according to Windpower Intelligence (WPI), the data and research division of Windpower Monthly.
Dec. 7 correction: We previously stated that 302.2 GW was the offshore wind total. 302.2 GW is actually the total of China’s offshore and onshore wind capacity. China currently has a total of between 10 and 12 GW of offshore wind capacity. We apologize for the error.
This is because developers in China are working to bring offshore wind online before feed-in tariffs expire at the end of 2021.
Windpower Monthly reports:
Of the projects WPI registered in November as newly coming online, eight of the world’s 11 largest were in Chinese waters. The eight Chinese offshore wind farms saw a combined capacity of 2.7GW added to the country’s total capacity.
WPI’s global forecast sees China’s installed wind capacity reaching 485GW by 2027 — split into 446.7GW onshore and 38.5GW offshore.
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China is expected to install 1,200 GW of total wind and solar capacity by 2026, according to a new report released this week from the International Energy Agency (IEA). That’s four years earlier than the country’s current target of 2030.
According to the IEA, this is the result of “the availability of long-term contracts, improved grid integration, and the cost competitiveness of onshore wind and solar PV compared with coal generation in many provinces.”
If you find yourself wondering how the US’s offshore wind growth projection compares with China’s already booming offshore wind industry, Anthony Allard, executive vice president, head of North America, Hitachi Energy, told Electrek by email:
Over the next five to 10 years, the offshore wind industry will make a major contribution to transforming the way the US gets its power, with the federal government targeting more than 30GW built in US waters by 2030.
We’ll also see greater recognition of the importance of HVDC technology as a facilitator of offshore wind projects, through its capability to connect larger wind farms further away from shore with onshore grids.
Read more: 2021 will be an all-time, record-breaking year for clean energy installations
Photo: “DONG HAI OFFSHORE WINDFARM” by TheClimateGroup is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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