Key Takeaways
- China leads the world in wind and solar capacity, but increased reliance on coal and transmission limitations hamper their utilization.
- Renewables contribute approximately 20% of power in China’s UHVDC network, with coal accounting for 42%.
- China plans to develop 315GW of megabase capacity by 2030, necessitating 27 new UHVDC lines for effective transmission.
China’s Energy Landscape
Beijing: A recent report by the Global Energy Monitor highlights that China is constructing more large-scale wind and solar energy facilities than the rest of the world combined. However, challenges remain due to insufficient transmission links and a persistent dependence on coal-fired power.
Currently, wind and solar energy sources account for about 20% of the electricity transmitted through China’s ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) network, with coal still providing a dominant 42%. Under China’s energy megabases policy, renewable energy is generated primarily in the less populated northern and northwestern regions and transported via UHVDC lines to urban areas and industrial hubs in the east.
The report indicates that to support an additional 315 gigawatts (GW) of megabase capacity by 2030, 27 UHVDC lines will be required. The Chinese government aims to implement 10 of these lines as part of its five-year strategy for 2026–2030.
Currently, there are 11 proposed transmission lines dedicated to megabases, combining 129 GW of renewables with 40 GW of coal. Despite efforts to cut down on coal usage, the distribution indicates an almost equal share between coal and renewable sources. Aiqun Yu, the report’s author and a senior East Asia strategist, noted that the high coal proportion complicates the government’s narrative of reducing reliance on coal in the energy mix.
Yu advocates for the integration of energy storage technologies to support renewable energy contributions, especially since they are at the mercy of variable weather conditions. A notable example is a proposed UHVDC line from Inner Mongolia’s Kubuqi to Shanghai, where renewables are intended to form over 60% of the planned transmission output, supplemented by 9,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy storage and only 2.64 GW of coal—significantly lower than that of comparable projects.
As of June 2026, China has plans for 664 GW of solar projects either underway or in the pipeline, representing one-third of the global total. Furthermore, the country has proposed 698 GW of wind capacity, accounting for one-quarter of global initiatives in that sector. The report indicates that while China is making considerable strides in renewable energy development, the balance of energy sources and the infrastructure to support them must be addressed to realize the full potential of its green energy ambitions.
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