China is the leader in renewable energy, with three quarters of projects being built there

Currently, about a quarter of all of new projects wind and solar energy in the world is being built by China.

According to a new report According to the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), China leads the world in terms of renewable energy deployment. The country is already building 510 GW of capacity, and the total projected capacity should eventually reach 1.3 TW.

As of the beginning of 2025, the existing capacity wind and solar energy in China have already reached 1.4 TW, which is 44% of the global total and exceeds the total capacity of the EU, the US and India combined.

In the first quarter of this year, wind and solar energy provided 22.5% of the country’s electricity, overtaking thermal power capacity for the first time. Most of the newly built capacity in China comes from centralized utility projects, especially in the northern and western regions, such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where almost 40% of the country’s planned solar and wind capacity is concentrated. 

In 2024 alone, China launched 278 GW of solar and 46 GW of wind energy. At the same time, offshore wind power is becoming increasingly important for China. From less than 5 GW in 2018, offshore wind capacity has grown to 42.7 GW by March 2025, accounting for more than half of all offshore wind capacity under construction worldwide.

This technology is particularly popular in coastal provinces such as Jiangsu and Guangdong Pilot initiatives are also being implemented in these regions to integrate offshore wind energy with heavy industry and the production of clean hydrogen.

However, despite its rapid development, offshore wind energy is facing challenges. After the gradual cessation of government subsidies in 2021, annual capacity growth declined and then began to gradually increase. 

Currently, China’s offshore wind power has already reached 67 GW. At the same time, about 40% of new projects are under development. New pilot projects are aimed at integrating offshore wind power with advanced technologies such as underwater data centers and direct electrification of industrial complexes. New capacity is expected to come online at a record pace this year, and the expansion of solar and wind power in China is changing the global energy landscape.

Source: Mongabay; ZME Science