Sustaining its clean energy growth momentum, China added 160.88 GW of solar energy capacity, a 19.85% increase year-over-year (YoY) increase in the first nine months (9M) of 2024 from 128.94 GW in 9M 2023, according to the National Energy Administration.

The solar capacity addition in the third quarter (Q3) was 58.4 GW, with 21 GW in September alone. In the same quarter last year, China had installed 50.52 GW of solar capacity.

In 2024, the country’s newly installed capacity from all sources reached 242.58 GW, with solar accounting for 66.32%.

During 9M, 33.43 GW (13.78%) of thermal, 39.12 GW (16.12%) of wind, 7.97 GW (3.28%) of hydroelectric, and 1.19 GW (0.49%) of nuclear power were installed.

China’s installed power generation capacity stood at 3,159.76 GW as of September 2024, of which solar accounted for 772.92 GW (24.46%).

The total wind capacity installed to date was 479.55 GW (15.17%), and hydroelectric  430.55 GW (13.62%). Thermal power comprised the largest chunk of the total capacity at 1,418.6 GW (44.89%).

A solar capacity of 216.88 GW was installed in 2023, up from 87.41 GW in 2022.

China installed 45.74 GW of solar power capacity in the first quarter of 2024, a 35.8% YoY rise. During the period, it also added 15.5 GW of wind, 6.39 GW of thermal, and 1.81 GW of hydroelectric capacity.

In the second quarter of 2024, China had added 56.74 GW of solar power capacity, a 24% YoY increase. In the same period, the country also added 10.34 GW of wind, 11.86 GW of thermal, 1.19 GW of nuclear, and 3.18 GW of hydroelectric capacity.

China remains the leading solar power generator, with the U.S. in second place. Earlier this year, India overtook Japan to emerge as the third largest solar power generator in the world.