China's Solar Power to Overtake Coal for First Time by 2026

In the midst of the fossil energy crisis when war hit the Middle East, renewable energy such as solar power became an option. (Antara)

JAKARTA - China's solar power capacity is expected to surpass coal for the first time in 2026. This projection comes as China accelerates its transition to green and low-carbon energy.

Quoted from China Daily, Wednesday, April 28, the projection was released by the China Electricity Council in its first quarter 2026 national electricity supply and demand report.

In the first quarter, China's electricity consumption reached 2.51 trillion kilowatt-hours. The figure was up 5.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

As of the end of March, China's total installed power generation capacity reached 3.96 billion kilowatts. Of that amount, non-fossil energy capacity reached 2.46 billion kilowatts, up 21.3 percent year-on-year.

Non-fossil energy now accounts for 62 percent of China's total power generation capacity.

In the first three months, additional wind and solar power capacity reached 57.16 million kilowatts. This amount is equivalent to 68.2 percent of all new generating capacity additions in China.

China's Electricity Council estimates that electricity consumption throughout 2026 will range from 10.9 trillion to 11 trillion kilowatt-hours, or grow 5 to 6 percent annually.

This year's maximum electricity load is projected to reach 1.57 billion to 1.63 billion kilowatts.

China is also expected to add more than 400 million kilowatts of new generating capacity through 2026. Of that amount, new energy accounts for more than 300 million kilowatts.

Total national installed capacity is estimated to reach 4 billion kilowatts in the second quarter.

By the end of 2026, the combined capacity of wind and solar power is expected to account for half of China's total power generation capacity. Solar power capacity alone is projected to surpass coal for the first time in history.