China's annual power generation from wind, solar energy surpasses 1 tln kWh in 2022

In 2022, the annual output of wind and photovoltaic (PV) power plants in China exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) for the first time, surging 21 percent year on year to a record high of 1.19 trillion kWh, according to a press conference held by China's National Energy Administration (NEA) on Feb. 13, 2023.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 25, 2022 shows a view of Maowei floating photovoltaic power station on water in Gucheng Township of Yingshang County, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

China's annual electricity output from wind and solar energy accounted for 13.8 percent of the total amount of electricity consumed and was close to the amount of electricity used by residents in the country in 2022.

Meanwhile, the installed capacity of newly added wind power and PV power projects exceeded 100 million kWh for three consecutive years and hit a historic high of 120 million kWh in 2022.

Onshore wind turbines with a capacity of 6 megawatts (MW) and offshore 10-MW wind turbines have become the mainstream, while the photoelectric conversion efficiency of mass-produced monocrystalline silicon solar cells reached 23.1 percent, Wang Dapeng, deputy head of the New Energy and Renewable Energy Sources Department of NEA, said at the press conference.

China has witnessed the continuous emergence of new business models regarding the integration of new energy power generation into various sectors, including the combination of PV power projects and desertification control efforts and agricultural projects, as well as renewable energy-based hydrogen production, according to Wang.

In 2022, the installed capacity of newly added distributed PV power projects reached 51.11 million kWh, accounting for more than 58 percent of the installed capacity of all newly added PV power projects, Wang added.

China has continued to lead the world in the renewable energy industry, according to the press conference. PV modules, wind turbines, gear boxes and other key components manufactured in China made up 70 percent of the global market share last year, Wang said.

China has made positive contributions to global carbon emission reductions by promoting the development of the renewable energy industry.

In 2022, the country's annual electricity production from renewable sources was equivalent to reducing domestic carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.26 billion tonnes, and its exports of wind power and PV products helped other countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 573 million tonnes.

The sum of those figures accounted for about 41 percent of the world's total carbon emission reductions owing to the use of renewable energy in 2022.