China reached a milestone last year in its transition towards renewable energies.

In 2024 alone, it installed sustainable systems with a capacity equivalent to the entire power grid of Germany.

Thus, the Asian giant consolidates its dominance in renewable energies. Currently, China controls 44% of the planet’s solar and wind capacity.

This is revealed by the energy balance of 2024, which shows an unprecedented gap between the world’s major powers.

According to the think tank EMBER, China increased its electricity consumption by 7%, representing an additional 550 TWh.

Despite consuming more energy, the Asian nation also boosted its renewable energy network.

China closed 2024 with 1.4 terawatts (TW) of wind and solar capacity operational in its energy network.

This figure represents 44% of the global total, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Thus, between 2023 and 2024, the country installed more solar energy than the United States in its entire history: 277 GW in a single year at a cost of $0.033/kWh.

In contrast, the United States installed approximately 41 GW at a cost of more than double: $0.070/kWh.

According to reports, commercial tariffs and capital costs explain this significant difference.

On the other hand, the RAND agency highlights that the Chinese network operates 41 Ultra High Voltage (UHV) lines to transport energy over thousands of kilometers.

Finally, in terms of energy storage, China possesses two-thirds of the world’s battery (BESS) capacity.

Moreover, it is projected to reach 721 GWh by 2027, tripling the forecast of 244 GWh for the United States.

In terms of intellectual and development fields, SpringerNature reports a massive growth in research articles over the last 25 years.

By the year 2000, China published 10 times less than the United States and 11 times less than the European Union.

In 2022, that proportion completely reversed. China published 47.5% more than the United States and 12.9% more than Europeans in scientific journals.

The Asian country also leads in publication quality. In 2022, it published approximately 337,000 articles in Q1 journals, while the United States reached 155,020 and Europe 248,640.

This advantage of China in renewable energies and technological capacity redefines the map of global energy power.

The transition to renewable energies now has an undisputed leader in terms of scale, investment, and scientific innovation: China.