China Sets Annual Wind Power Installation Target of at Least 120 GW During the 15th Five-Year Plan

Source: China Reform Daily

At the recently held Beijing International Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, the Beijing Declaration on Wind Energy 2.0 was officially released, proposing that China’s annual newly installed wind power capacity during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030) should reach no less than 120 gigawatts (GW).

According to the declaration, the targets were formulated under the guidance of China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and take into account resource potential, technological capability, industrial resilience, and market demand. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, annual new offshore wind power installations are expected to exceed 15 GW, ensuring that China’s total installed wind capacity will reach 1.3 billion kilowatts (1,300 GW) by 2030, no less than 2 billion kilowatts (2,000 GW) by 2035, and 5 billion kilowatts (5,000 GW) by 2060, contributing to the energy sector’s early achievement of carbon neutrality.

Data from the Wind Energy Committee of the Chinese Renewable Energy Society indicate that China boasts abundant wind resources and enormous development potential. In the “Three North” regions — northern, northeastern, and northwestern China — the technically and economically exploitable onshore wind potential exceeds 750 GW, which can provide low-cost power through local utilization and interregional balancing. The central, eastern, and southern regions have an additional 250 GW of onshore potential, offering vast opportunities for regionally tailored, intensive development. Within 300 kilometers of China’s coastline, the technically and economically exploitable offshore wind potential exceeds 270 GW, which has already entered large-scale commercial development.

China’s wind power industry continues to maintain rapid and stable growth and is entering a new stage in which annual new installations exceed 100 GW.

The 15th Five-Year Plan period marks the first five years of China’s transition to a fully market-oriented phase of wind power development. To accelerate progress in the sector, the Beijing Declaration on Wind Energy 2.0 outlines five key initiatives: Formulate industrial development plans aligned with climate goals; Improve the policy framework in line with evolving industry conditions; Strengthen technological innovation through collaboration among government, industry, academia, and research institutions; Promote integrated and synergistic development of wind power with other energy systems; and deepen international cooperation to foster shared prosperity.