Erneuerbare Energien: Solar überholt Kohle erstmals als größte Stromquelle Chinas

Beijing - Solar power has overtaken coal as the largest source of electricity generation in China for the first time, according to the country's energy authority. At the end of July, photovoltaic installations had a capacity of 1,286 gigawatts, just slightly ahead of coal-fired power plants at 1,285 gigawatts. Solar energy accounts for 31.5% of the total installed electricity generation capacity.

China has been aggressively expanding its solar power generation capacity for years, particularly in the western and northwestern regions. Despite these efforts, China remains one of the world's largest emitters of carbon dioxide, primarily due to coal production. Coal remains a cost-effective and reliable energy source for the country, providing a buffer during energy crises.

Additionally, China utilizes coal gasification to produce chemicals that would otherwise require oil, a resource that China is dependent on for imports. The milestone in solar power generation came at a time when the expansion of photovoltaic installations in the country is slowing down. The energy authority reported that between January and July of this year, China built 62% less solar capacity compared to the same period last year.

This decline is attributed to a regulatory change that eliminated price guarantees for solar power projects starting from the summer of the previous year, and allowed market forces to determine prices. The report adds: "The electricity market design is not working": China is wasting a quarter of its green electricity.