The National New Energy Consumption Monitoring and Early Warning Center has announced the projected addition of new solar and wind power capacities in China in 2020. The report is based on the data submitted by grid operators to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

According to the announcement, China will add 85.1 GW of solar and wind capacity to its grid in 2020, which includes 35.1 GW of wind capacity and 48.45 GW of solar capacity.

Last year, China added 30.11 GW of new solar capacity. Large-scale projects made up 17.91 GW and 12.2 GW of installations were through distributed projects. The recent energy statistics and the data released by the NEA said that nearly 3.95 GW of solar capacity was installed nationwide in China during the first quarter of (Q1) of 2020. Out of the 3.95 GW, 2.23 GW was added through the large-scale solar PV installations, while distributed solar PV made up 1.72 GW.

These estimates are very aggressive, considering the slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In comparison, a forecast by consulting firm AECEA (pre-COVID) projected 23-31 GW of solar capacity to be deployed during 2020.

The new report further states that the total new capacity of wind and solar energy to be added in the operating area of the State Grid Corporation of China is 68.5 GW, out of which wind power installations will account for 29.4 GW, and solar installations will account for 39.05 GW.

According to the report, the total operating capacity of solar and wind power in the operating area of the Inner Mongolia Electric Power Company is 3 GW, which includes 1 GW of wind power and 2 GW of solar power.

As per the report, 3.2 GW of wind power and 1.8 GW of solar power will be added in the Guangdong province. Similarly, 4.05 GW of wind capacity and 3.25 GW of solar capacity will be added in the Jiangsu province. Also, 2 GW of wind capacity and 4.4 GW of solar capacity will be added in Shangdong province.

Earlier, Mercom reported that the top three solar markets in the world-China, the U.S., and India added nearly 51 GW of solar capacity in 2019.

Previously, NEA had announced that it plans to provide subsidies of RMB 1.5 billion (~$216.1 million) for new solar power projects in the country this year, according to its ‘construction plan for photovoltaic power generation projects in 2020.’

Image credit: Community Energy