Why China Is No Longer the Villain of the Energy Transition
For years the world has pointed to China’s relentless construction of coal‑fired power plants as proof that the global shift to greener electricity is futile. A fresh analysis from the think‑tank Ember, however, paints a dramatically different picture. In just twelve months the nation’s electricity demand surged by roughly 503 terawatt‑hours (TWh), yet the output from renewable sources—solar, wind and hydro—rose by an even larger 561 TWh. This marks the first time that clean generation has outpaced the total growth in consumption, signalling a decisive turn in the country’s energy mix.
Coal’s Decline Without a Recession
The surge in renewables translated into a sharp contraction of coal‑based production, which fell by 56 TWh. Remarkably, this reduction occurred in a period of steady economic expansion, debunking the myth that cutting coal inevitably harms growth. Today, solar and wind together account for about 22 % of China’s total electricity, a share that surpasses the average of affluent OECD members.
Battery Breakthroughs and Grid Flexibility
One of the lingering criticisms of wind and solar is their intermittency. The outlook is changing fast: by 2025 global battery capacity is expected to increase enough to store roughly 14 % of all newly installed solar power for later use. At the same time, the price of grid‑scale batteries dropped by an astonishing 45 % within a single year, making large‑scale storage economically viable and smoothing the supply curve.
China’s Nuclear Ambitions
Renewables are not the only pillar of the Chinese green push. The nation is also forging ahead with nuclear energy, currently responsible for more than half of every new reactor built worldwide. This aggressive expansion adds a reliable, low‑carbon source to the grid, further reducing reliance on coal.
Implications for the Global Energy Landscape
The data suggest that the energy transition is not a distant dream for China; it is already unfolding at scale. As the world grapples with climate targets, China’s rapid adoption of clean technologies could accelerate the global decarbonisation agenda, lower the cost of green power, and provide a template for other emerging economies.
Source: https://scientias.nl/china-is-groener-dan-je-denkt/
