By Elizabeth Frost, China Analyst; Danny Hartono, Data Scientist; with contributions from Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst
Villagers harvest water chestnuts under photovoltaic panels at the Baimahu Photovoltaic Base in Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province, China on September 27, 2026. China installed 97.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity in the first eight months of 2026. Photo: Cynthia Lee/Alamy
*Thermal, nuclear, and hydropower generation are based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Solar generation is estimated from installed capacity and projected utilisation rates, adjusted for weather and average curtailment over the preceding three months. Wind generation estimates are calculated using a wind projection model utilising NASA wind speed data. Figures for the most recent month are preliminary model estimates and may be revised once official generation and capacity data are released. Coal and gas generation are estimated by splitting total thermal generation using last year’s same-month fuel mix, adjusted by the year-on-year change in the fuel mix over the preceding three months.
The steel and cement industries are the largest CO2 emitters in China, when emissions from their electricity use are included. They are also bellwethers of real estate, infrastructure, and other fixed-asset investments that play an outsized role in China’s emissions and economy. Sulfuric acid and chemical fibre output indicate wider trends in China’s emissions-intensive chemicals sector.
Hebei Province industrial output is a bellwether of national priorities: when air quality and emissions are priorities, it is the most tightly regulated area because of its impact on Beijing’s pollution levels. Read our September 2026 Air Quality Trends Snapshot here.
In the first eight months of 2026, China added:
In August 2026 alone, China added:
Read more: China Coal Power Biannual Review – H1 2026
Relevant analysis by CREA:
Beyond the headline targets: What China’s 15th Five-Year Plans mean for its green transition
Five years on: China seeds overseas renewables growth but coal ban gaps persist
Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions fall in Q2 2026 due to plummeting oil use
Built for backup, contracted to run: China’s coal support system risks crowding out clean power | China Coal Power Biannual Review H1 2026
China’s new energy plan leaves emissions loose
China’s CO2 climbs 2% in early 2026 due to ‘wasted’ wind and solar
What drove China’s historic drop in power-sector emissions?
China’s new carbon metric leaves Germany-sized gap in its emissions
Reclaiming credibility in China’s steel industry: Climate ambition, financial resilience, and market trust
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan — Implications for climate and energy transition
