The North China Power Grid has set a new benchmark for renewable energy, with peak generation climbing to 171 gigawatts (GW)—the highest on record, according to the State Grid Corporation of China.
Original By NLS
The North China Power Grid has set a new benchmark for renewable energy, with peak generation climbing to 171 gigawatts (GW)—the highest on record, according to the State Grid Corporation of China. The region has surpassed 150 GW, 160 GW, and now 170 GW in quick succession since March.
Renewables continue to play an increasingly central role in North China's energy mix. Installed capacity now totals 370 GW, accounting for 50.3% of the region’s overall generation capacity—making it the largest single power source. In the first quarter of 2024, renewable generation reached 165 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), up 29.4% year-on-year and representing more than 30% of total electricity consumption. Daily and monthly records for output and share have been repeatedly broken.
To support this growth, the grid operator has been scaling up its capacity to absorb renewable power. Working with provincial utilities, the State Grid has unlocked over 70 GW in flexibility through demand response, storage, and generation-side upgrades. More than 400 coal-fired units have been retrofitted for deep peak shaving, with around 20% now able to operate at or below 20% of rated capacity. The grid is also drawing on pumped hydro and newer battery storage systems to smooth volatility.
On the day of the record high, flexible resources across generation, grid, storage, and demand were fully mobilized, highlighting the grid’s ability to maintain balance under heavy renewable load.
Looking ahead, the North China branch plans to further unlock thermal flexibility, expand retrofits for combined heat and power (CHP) decoupling, and refine its scheduling to maximize output from renewables. It also aims to expand cross-regional transmission via key corridors such as Xitai and Yanhua, and deepen mid- and long-term market participation to ensure continued high-quality growth of clean energy.