China installed significantly more solar modules last year than in previous years. According to the Ministry of Energy in Beijing, the newly added capacity was about 216 gigawatts, while around 87 gigawatts were added in 2022. For comparison: According to the Federal Network Agency, solar expansion in Germany last year amounted to 14.1 gigawatts.
The Chinese ministry’s figures also show that, unlike in previous years, China built more power in solar power plants instead of on the roofs of private or commercial buildings. Installations on roofs were otherwise the driver for increasing the share of solar energy. However, China now has huge solar projects in remote areas such as the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang or the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia.
China is the world leader in expansion
State and party leader Xi Jinping has ordered the world’s second largest economy to expand renewable energy through wind and solar power. China is now the world leader in expansion. By 2030, the energy-hungry country, which is still heavily dependent on coal for electricity generation, wants to have reached the peak in carbon dioxide emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, coal accounts for about 60 percent of China’s energy supply. The People’s Republic wants to be climate neutral by 2060.
China’s photovoltaics industry association expects up to 220 gigawatts of newly installed solar energy to be installed in 2024. The rapid expansion is also possible due to low prices for solar modules. Internationally, the cheap panels increase the pressure on companies in the industry. In Germany, for example, the manufacturer Meyer Burger recently announced that it would stop production in Freiberg, Saxony. German solar production has been in crisis for years, mainly due to the dominance of Chinese manufacturers on the global market. The accusation from the industry is that companies from the Far East are flooding the market with modules at dumping prices.