In the first half of 2024, coal-fired power plants in China produced 59.6% of the country’s total electricity, marking the first time coal’s share fell below 60% during this period. This shift reflects a broader trend towards cleaner energy sources, according to data from energy think tank Ember.
From January to June 2024, coal-fired electricity generation totaled 2,793.5 terawatt hours (TWh), up by 2.4% compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this increase, coal’s portion of China’s overall electricity mix reached a new low as clean energy sources surged to record highs.
Clean electricity generation in China rose to 1,751.4 TWh during the first half of 2024, a substantial 17% increase from the previous year. Clean power now accounts for 37.3% of China’s total electricity output, driven primarily by significant expansions in hydroelectric, solar, and wind power generation.
Hydroelectric dams emerged as the largest single source of clean electricity, producing 558.1 TWh, a jump of nearly 22% from the first half of 2023 and the highest output for this period since 2015. Wind power also set a record with 525.3 TWh generated, marking a 10.4% increase year-over-year. Solar energy production soared by 39.4% to 378.4 TWh in the same timeframe.
In contrast, nuclear power output remained stable at 212.26 TWh, while bioenergy production decreased by 6.2% to 77.3 TWh.
The reduced reliance on fossil fuels was further evident in the decline of coal and natural gas-fired electricity generation, down by 8% and 10.6% respectively from the latter half of 2023. Fossil fuels collectively accounted for 62.7% of China’s electricity generation in the first half of 2024, down from 65% in the second half of 2023.
The shift towards cleaner energy sources is aligned with China’s broader energy strategy, which has seen a significant expansion in renewable energy capacities. Between 2018 and 2023, China’s clean electricity generation capacity increased by 104%, far outpacing the 21% growth in fossil fuel generation capacity over the same period.
This transition has also had positive implications for environmental sustainability, with growth in power sector emissions slowing to a 2.4% increase from the first half of 2023. If current trends continue, experts predict that China’s overall power sector emissions could see a notable reduction by the end of the decade.
