China, already the global leader in renewable energy generation capacity, is racing ahead in building new wind and solar farms, but progress is slower on its showcase wind and solar 'mega' bases, a think tank said on Thursday.
It looks set to reach a total of 1,200 GW of wind and solar energy by 2025, five years ahead of a government target, U.S.-based think thank Global Energy Monitor said in a report, thanks to generous subsidies and a low-cost supply chain.However, GEM said progress is slower on Beijing's most ambitious projects, dubbed 'mega' bases, or gigawatt-scale wind and solar energy parks located in remote regions, which are technically more challenging and face stricter requirements.
In 2022, the NDRC announced a second target to build a further 200 GW of capacity at even larger bases by 2025. Among four main desert energy bases with a combined planned capacity of 119 GW by 2025, only 1 GW of solar components appear to be under construction, with the remainder of the projects still in the feasibility study or permitting stages, GEM said.