China installs half of the new global offshore wind capacity in 2021
In a record-breaking year, China built more offshore wind in 2021 than any other country has in five years. The country’s National Energy Administration indicated that up to 17 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity were installed in 2021. This incredible achievement means that China is now operating half of the world’s installed offshore wind, with a total of 26 gigawatts out of a worldwide total of 54 gigawatts.
The deputy editor of climate website Carbon Brief, Simon Evans, highlighted the increase in a Twitter thread, showcasing the achievements from China compared to the rest of the world.
China’s efforts push the UK into second place after previously holding the number one spot with 10 gigawatts of capacity. There are two small offshore wind farms in the US, holding a total capacity of 0.042 gigawatts. In response to Evans’ Twitter post the co-director of US climate think-tank Climate Interactive, Elizabeth Sawin, commented: “While the US can’t quite agree to build back better, China just builds better.”
The news means that China could be on its way to peaking carbon emissions in 2030, despite being the largest polluter in the world. The nation’s leader, Xi Jinping, even pledges that China will reach net zero emissions by 2060.
But as the per-capita demand for electricity in China catches up with European nations, there are still some obstacles to overcome. Climate think-tank Ember finds that the People’s Public saw a 28% rise in demand for electricity from 2017 to 2021 – a demand greater than India’s entire electricity grid in 2021. And yet fossil fuels still draw 84% of the country’s energy. There are currently 1,082 coal-fired power plants operating, with plans to add to this number. Thus, China could have 1,230 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity by 2025, which is more than the total energy generation capacity of the US in 2020.
While Chinese electricity demand still has a long way to go, it may not be the case for long. China bought 3.3 million electric vehicles in 2021, making the country the leader in electric vehicle uptakes. China has set a clear goal for its Five Year Plan, which is set to increase electricity use in final energy consumption from 25.8% in 2016.
Dave Jones, Ember’s global lead, comments: “Yes, rising electricity demand is a double-edged sword, as some of it’s going to be wasted and it means you have to ramp up generation rapidly.
“But on the other hand, China is really progressing into the electric future. The answer to the question ‘why is China increasing its electricity demand?’ is that they’re leading the rest of the world.”
