China adds 31 GW of solar in H1, gears for record 2022

China has put into operation close to 31 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the first half of 2022, or 137% more than a year earlier, and is anticipated to set a new record for the year.

The data was released in a presentation of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association and seen by Reuters. According to the statistics, the first-half capacity additions have raised the country’s cumulative installed solar power capacity to 340 GW.

Wang Bohua, the association’s honorary chairman, expects that new solar installations in 2022 will reach between 75 GW and 90 GW, which will by far exceed the record 54.9 GW deployed last year. He warned, however, that land use restrictions, including the proposed rules for curtailing project development on arable land, coastlines and riverbanks, could slow down the future pace of deployments.

In terms of manufacturing, China exported solar power equipment with a total value of some CNY 25.9 billion in the first six months of the year, more than double the year-ago total, regardless of the tariffs and trade sanctions by the US, India and Europe.

To back its goal to bring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, China aims to increase its total installed wind and solar power generation capacity to over 1,200 GW by 2030.

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