China producing 60 gigawatts of solar panels this year up 25%

by

China’s solar industry is expected to produce 25 percent more panels in 2017 than last year, supported by domestic sales and demand from the United States and emerging markets, the head of a Chinese industry association said.

China was expected to produce solar panels with a combined capacity of 60 gigawatts (GW) this year, said Wang Bohua, secretary general of China’s photovoltaic industry association.

China produced panels with capacity of 48 GW in 2016.

The United States has told the World Trade Organization it was considering putting emergency “safeguard” tariffs on imported solar cells, a move aimed at shielding its industry from a damaging, unforeseen surge in imports.

The United States has been vying with China and India to become a market leader in an industry where production costs have tumbled, favoring producers of scale.

China had a total of 101.82 GW installed solar capacity by June, after adding 24.4 GW in the first six months of 2017, the industry association said. It will soon reach 110 GW, the target Beijing had aimed to achieved by 2020.

China generates about one terawatt hour per year per gigawatt of solar. China will generate about 6200 TWh in 2017 and 6500 TWh in 2018.
China generates about seven terawatt hours per year per gigawatt of nuclear.
China generates about four terawatt hours per year per gigawatt of coal.

Wind and solar generate less per gigawatt because the sun only shines brightly about 6 hours per non-cloudy day and the wind does not always blow.

China’s total primary energy consumption is expected to have reached 4.36 billion tonnes of coal equivalent in 2016, up 1.4 percent compared to 2015. China’s total non-fossil fuel consumption rose to 13.3 percent of the total this year, up 1.3 percentage points compared to 2015.

China aims for non-fossil fuels to account for about 20 percent of total energy consumption by 2030, increasing to more than half of demand by 2050, its state planner said on Tuesday, as Beijing continues its years-long shift away from coal power.


China energy mix including oil for transportation

China generated
5620 TWh in 2015
5920 TWh in 2016
China is expected to be generating 7400 TWh in 2020.
China will be generating about 9000 to 11,000 TWH in 2030.

In 2015, China produced over 1,126 TWh of hydroelectric energy.
In 2020, China hydro power should be about 1250 TWh.

China Electricity in TWh
              2010       2015      2016      2020       2030
Total         3472       5600      5920      7400       9200
Thermal       2670       4077      4300      5200       5650
Hydro          675       1110      1126      1250       1650
Wind            52        185       241       300        600
Nuclear         75        161       210       450        850
Solar                      67        77       100        300