China’s electricity demand grew by 6.6 percent (+623 TWh) in 2024, only slightly lower than 6.9 percent growth in 2023, according to Ember report.
Hotter temperatures and a rebound in industrial demand early in the year contributed to the rise.
81 percent of China’s demand growth in 2024 was met by clean generation sources, with wind and solar alone covering more than half.
Only 18 percent of the increase in demand was met with additional coal generation.
Solar generation rose by 250 TWh (+43 percent), continuing its rapid expansion; hydro generation rebounded by 130 TWh (+11 percent).
China had the world’s largest increase in coal generation (+110 TWh), though this was far lower than in 2023.
Solar’s growth in China more than doubled the rise in coal generation; China contributed 53 percent of global solar growth and 58 percent of global wind growth.
China’s electricity demand in 2024 reached 10,066 TWh, a sevenfold increase since 2000.
From 2000 to 2015, 70 percent of demand growth was met with fossil fuels; since 2015, clean power has met over half.
Wind and solar generation in China tripled between 2019 and 2024, rising from 629 TWh to 1,826 TWh.
Coal’s share in the electricity mix declined from 70 percent in 2015 to 58 percent in 2024, though total coal generation hit a new record.
China relied on fossil fuels for 62 percent of its electricity in 2024 and accounted for 39 percent of global power sector emissions.
Power sector emissions in China rose 2.2 percent to 5,640 MtCO2 in 2024, slower than recent years, suggesting peak emissions may be near.
China dominates both global clean energy growth and coal growth, contributing 54 percent to global solar and wind expansion and 74 percent to global coal growth.
Clean power made up 38 percent of China’s electricity mix in 2024, slightly below the global average.
Wind and solar reached an 18 percent share, higher than the global average and surpassing the US.
China produced 55 percent of global coal-fired electricity in 2024.
The carbon intensity of China’s electricity fell 4.1 percent to 560 gCO2/kWh, still above the global average.
China’s per-capita electricity demand (7.1 MWh) was nearly double the global and Asian averages, and five times India’s.
Per-capita emissions from China’s power sector were 4 tCO2 in 2024, more than twice the global average.
GreentechLead.com News Desk