Energie: China gewinnt erstmals mehr Strom mit Solarzellen als mit Kohle

In a surprising turn of events, China has become the first country to generate more electricity with solar panels than with coal, according to data released by the country's energy authority. At the end of July, solar power installations were producing 1,286 gigawatts of electricity, surpassing the 1,285 gigawatts generated by coal-fired power plants. Solar energy accounted for 31.5% of the total installed electricity generation capacity, according to reports from state-run Chinese television.

China has been aggressively expanding its solar power infrastructure for years, particularly in the western and northwestern regions of the country. Massive swathes of land in these areas are now covered in solar panels. Despite these ambitious plans, China remains one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas largely stemming from coal production.

Coal power is considered cost-effective and serves as a safety net during energy crises for the country. Additionally, China utilizes coal gasification to produce chemicals that would otherwise require oil, a resource China relies on imports for.

The latest data from China's energy authority shows that the share of coal in electricity generation has dropped below 50% in the first half of the year. However, experts from the Finnish energy think tank CREA estimate that up to 25% of electricity could be generated from renewable sources. This increase is partly due to the large-scale construction of coal-fired power plants, some of whose electricity is given priority on the grid.