Wind power drives China's global green energy edge

China's rapidly expanding wind power sector has not only achieved leapfrog growth domestically, but has also emerged as a key driving force for the global clean energy transition, as the nation pivots toward high-quality development and reliable system substitution.

The country established the world's largest wind energy industrial system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), supported by the globe's most comprehensive supply chain. This robust foundation has provided substantial momentum and cost-effective equipment for worldwide renewable energy deployment, according to the National Energy Administration.

In 2025, China's newly installed offshore wind capacity exceeded 7 million kilowatts, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the global total. The offshore wind industry is expected to maintain its growth momentum in the coming years.

A more robust offshore wind system has opened up vast opportunities to maximize the use of marine energy. China's remarkable innovative achievements in offshore wind power, particularly the newly launched typhoon-resistant turbines, vividly demonstrate the formidable capabilities of its industrial system.

"The country's wind power sector has maintained steady and orderly momentum throughout this year, highlighted by expanding installed capacity, a steadily rising share in total electricity generation, continuous technological breakthroughs and broadening international cooperation," said Pan Huimin, deputy director of the NEA's Department of New and Renewable Energy.

With the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the nation is establishing "expanding volume, enhancing quality and achieving reliable substitution" as its overarching theme.

However, as the sector scales to unprecedented heights, Pan cautioned that it must navigate growing structural headwinds.

"Wind power development is currently confronting mounting grid integration constraints, tightening factor supplies, declining project yields following full power marketization, and the insufficient realization of green environmental value," Pan said.

To address these challenges, Pan emphasized the need to optimize regional development layouts, accelerate integrated energy models, adapt to competitive power markets and further strengthen international cooperation to benefit the broader global green transition.

Industry leaders echoed the urgency of systemic upgrades, noting that grid integration is a shared global hurdle.

Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, pointed out that transmission infrastructure remains the most pressing bottleneck, as grid construction worldwide struggles to keep pace with surging renewable capacity.

Backwell stressed that countries must invest more aggressively in grid technology, coordination and demand-side management.

Furthermore, wind power enterprises can no longer act merely as hardware suppliers. They must provide comprehensive, integrated solutions. Pairing wind power with solar, energy storage and smart grid technologies will be essential to meet actual market demand and secure viable power tariffs in liberalized electricity markets, said Backwell.

Reinforcing this perspective within the Chinese market, Liang Zhipeng, director of the renewable energy professional committee of the China Energy Research Society, stated that wind power has firmly become the backbone of China's energy security and green transition.

To overcome grid integration constraints and fluctuating power market returns, Liang recommended prioritizing the enhancement of wind power's "capacity credit" and system contribution capabilities.

He also advocated pioneering direct green power supply models to lower industrial end-user costs, driving collaborative innovation between artificial intelligence and electricity trading mechanisms, and establishing clear pathways to monetize the green premium of zero-carbon power.