China’s wind and solar megabases face coal test

China's wind and solar megabases are increasingly relying on local industrial consumption and standalone battery storage to mitigate transmission bottlenecks and curtailment. However, the integration of renewables into coal-to-chemicals projects, such as those by Baofeng Energy, risks supplementing rather than replacing coal. Furthermore, the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is characterized as conservative regarding transmission capacity and fossil fuel phase-out, potentially allowing coal-fired generation to rebound if demand growth exceeds renewable deployment.

• Transmission bottlenecks, dispatch practices, and coal-related incentives are causing rising curtailment of wind and solar power, leading renewable generators to seek local industrial users as a "second leg" for the megabase model alongside outbound transmission.
• China's green hydrogen sector is expanding rapidly, with over 10 GW of wind and solar capacity already dedicated to production (yielding at least 250,000 tonnes per year), and another 53 GW under development to produce 1.6 million tonnes annually.
• There is a risk of 'coal lock-in' where renewables are used to secure regulatory approval for coal projects without significantly reducing coal use; for example, Baofeng Energy's 1 GW wind and solar project in Inner Mongolia reduces coal consumption by only 2.2% of the facility's total annual use.
• The 15th Five-Year Plan for the energy sector (2026–2030) is viewed as conservative, with a target to increase northwest–to–east power transmission capacity from 340 GW to 420 GW that may not fully reflect State Grid's plans for fifteen new UHVDC lines.

APA

Huang, A. Y. J. N. Y. (n.d.). China’s wind and solar megabases face coal test. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/chinas-wind-and-solar-megabases-face-coal-test

Chicago

Huang, Aiqun Yu, James Norman, Ye. China’s wind and solar megabases face coal test. Global Energy Monitor, n.d. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/chinas-wind-and-solar-megabases-face-coal-test.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Huang |first1=Aiqun Yu, James Norman, Ye |title=China’s wind and solar megabases face coal test |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/chinas-wind-and-solar-megabases-face-coal-test |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{huangndchinas, author = {Huang, Aiqun Yu, James Norman, Ye}, title = {{China’s wind and solar megabases face coal test}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/chinas-wind-and-solar-megabases-face-coal-test}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }