China’s Solar Boom Continues: 105 GW Installed from January to April

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has reported that the country added 45.22 GW of new solar PV capacity in April 2025 alone, pushing total installations for the first four months of the year to 104.93 GW — a staggering 214.68% increase year over year. This growth underscores the rapid acceleration of China’s renewable energy deployment. 

By the end of April, China’s total installed power generation capacity had reached 3.49 TW, up 15.9% from the previous year. Solar PV accounted for 990 GW and wind power 540 GW. However, power utilization efficiency declined, with the average operating hours of generation equipment falling by 103 hours year over year to 1,008 hours. 

Investment in power generation by major energy enterprises rose modestly by 1.6% to CNY 193.3 billion (USD 26.68 billion), while spending on power grid infrastructure jumped 14.6% to CNY 140.8 billion. 

Meanwhile, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) reported that polysilicon prices remained largely stable this week. N-type reprocessed polysilicon averaged CNY 38,600/ton, n-type granular silicon was priced at CNY 36,000/ton, and p-type polysilicon stood at CNY 31,300/ton. After months of price declines, CNMIA expects stabilization as manufacturers curtailed or shut down production lines in May to mitigate oversupply risks. Despite the beginning of the hydropower season in southern China, major producers have not resumed or expanded operations. The number of active polysilicon manufacturers dropped from 13 to 11, all operating at reduced capacity. In April, China imported 954.33 tons and exported 1,262.29 tons of polysilicon, according to customs data. 

In the downstream market, China Railway Construction Corp. has launched a procurement tender via its IT subsidiary for 3 GW of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) n-type bifacial double-glass modules. The tender is part of its 2025 solar procurement plan, with bids due by June 12 and deliveries scheduled through the end of the year.