Lights On or Off? Chinese Solar and Wind
As Sub-Saharan Africa faces an urgent need for renewable energy, China''s experience and overcapacity in wind and solar seem like
All told, 2023 saw unprecedented wind and solar growth in China. The unabated wave of construction guarantees that China will continue leading in wind and solar installation in the near future, far ahead of the rest of the world.
Wind and solar now account for 37% of the total power capacity in the country, an 8% increase from 2022, and widely expected to surpass coal capacity, which is 39% of the total right now, in 2024. Cumulative annual utility-scale solar & wind power capacity in China, in gigawatts (GW)
The first wave of "mega wind and solar bases" was announced in 2021 and spanned across 19 provinces. Most of the 97 GW in this first wave began operating in 2023 as scheduled, accounting for a third of China's newly-operating capacity, pointing to a promising future for the second and third waves.
Such initiatives, often supported by international partners like China, show promising results. Zimbabwean economist Brains Muchemwa said Africa has benefited immensely from China's booming green energy industry through the supply of affordable green energy products such as solar panels and batteries.
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