Top five solar PV plants in operation in China1. Gonghe Photovoltaic Project The Gonghe Photovoltaic Project is a 3,182MW solar PV power project located in Qinghai, China. National Advanced PV Technology Demonstration Center Solar PV Park.
Of the total global solar PV capacity, 35.45% is in China. Listed below are the five largest active solar PV power plants by capacity in China, according to GlobalData's power plants database. GlobalData uses proprietary data and analytics to provide a complete picture of the global solar PV power segment.
Where is solar power generated in China?
Most of China's solar power is generated within its western provinces and is transferred to other regions of the country. In 2011, China owned the largest solar power plant in the world at the time, the Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park, which had a photovoltaic capacity of 200 MW.
As of data from April 2023, the largest PV solar plant in the country is the Gonghe Photovoltaic Project, located in the province of Qinghai, with a capacity of over 3,000 megawatts. Zhejiang, followed by Qinghai, were the provinces accounting for the largest capacity of operational solar power farms in 2022.
How much solar power does China have?
As of at least 2024, China has one third of the world's installed solar panel capacity. Most of China's solar power is generated within its western provinces and is transferred to other regions of the country.
China has more solar energy capacity than any other country in the world, at a gargantuan 130 gigawatts. If it were all generating electricity at once, it could power the whole of the UK several times over.
Located in Datong City, Shanxi Province, it is the country's 3rd largest solar power plant. China's National Energy Administration aimed to install solar plants in this area. After successful completion of the project's 1st phase in 2016, this solar plant now has a total capacity of 1.1 gigawatts.