Case Study: China
Geography: Cambridge International GCSE (2027 Exams), topic 10.6.4
Case Study: Energy Sustainability in China
China is an emerging country that has become a world leader in energy sustainability, despite being one of the world's largest polluters.
Investment in sustainable energy
- In 2018, China produced 2x as much energy from renewable sources as any other country in the world. The USA produced the 2nd most energy from renewable sources.
- Wind farms, solar power, and hydroelectric power are the biggest producers of renewable energy in China.
- In 2017, China invested $126.6bn in renewable energy projects. This was 45% of the world's total investment in renewable energy projects.
Solar energy
- China is the 2nd largest producer of solar energy in the world. Solar power produced 3.3%. of all of China's energy in 2018.
- Only Germany produces more energy using solar panels than China.
- The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park is the largest solar plant in China.
Hydroelectricity
- In 2015, hydroelectric power produced 20% of all of China's electricity.
- The Three Gorges Dam is the largest HEP plant in China. To create the Three Gorges Dam, over 1,000 square kilometres of land was flooded.
Test yourself on Case Study: China
Which renewable energies are produced in large amounts by China?
In 2017, how much did China invest in renewable energy projects?
What percentage does hydropower generation contribute towards total electricity generation in China?