Photovoltaic power the second-largest power source in China: official

(ECNS) -- China’s newly added photovoltaic installed capacity has ranked first in the world for ten consecutive years, and in the first half of this year, the cumulative installed capacity exceeded 470 million kilowatts, making it the second-largest power source in terms of installed capacity in China," said Li Chuangjun, director of the Department of New Energy and Renewable Energy Sources of the National Energy Administration (NEA).

"China's photovoltaic power generation continues to increase, with its utilization maintaining a relatively high level,” Li made the remarks at a trade fair on green development in northwest China's Qinghai province on Saturday.

In the first half of the year 2023, the national photovoltaic power generation exceeded 260 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of about 30 percent, with an average utilization rate reaching 98 percent, Li added.

Li also noted that the production capacity has been fully utilized in the silicon materials sector, leading to a sustained decline in the costs of photovoltaic power generation.

According to data from NEA, as of the end of June this year, China's cumulative installed power generation capacity has reached approximately 2.71 billion kilowatts, with a year-on-year growth of 10.8 percent. Among them, the installed capacity of solar power generation is about 470 million kilowatts, showing a year-on-year growth of 39.8 percent, and the installed capacity of wind power is about 390 million kilowatts, with a year-on-year growth of 13.7 percent. Photovoltaic power generation has become the second-largest power source in terms of installed capacity in China, second only to coal power.