Top 10: Largest Renewable Energy Projects
Before the year 2030, more than half of the worldâs electricity will come from low-emission sources according to the IEA.
A lot of progress has been made â a boom in solar and wind energy projects pushed the world past 40% clean energy used in 2024 according to think-tank Ember.
Carbon dioxide emissions, however, have risen to an all time high with hot weather pushing up overall demand for power.
To combat this, renewable energy has to start replacing fossil fuels â not just adding to the supply.
Around the world, enormous and ambitious renewable energy projects are operational and under construction.
Energy Digital has ranked 10 of the largest renewable energy projects in the world.
10. Pavagada Solar Park
Developer: Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation
CEO: Amaranath Naranaiah
Country: India
Capacity: 2GW
Also known as Shakti Sthala, the Pavagada Solar Park received approval in 2015.
The project is run by the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation, a joint venture between Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd and the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
The solar park provides income to the farmers who own the land it is built on and provides clean energy to nearby towns and villages.
Pavagada receives very little rainfall, making it an ideal location for this large solar project.
9. Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farms
Developer: Ørsted
CEO: Rasmus Errboe
Country: Taiwan, China
Capacity: 2.4 GW planned
This series of offshore wind farms are under construction off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.
The project was approved in 2018 and began construction in November 2019.
Greater Changhua 1 and 2a were inaugurated by Ørsted in 2024 with a total installed capacity of 900 MW
Mads Nipper, Ex-Group President and Ex-CEO at Ørsted, said that the farms are “Taiwan’s first utility-scale far-shore wind farms and the largest of their kind in APAC, reaffirming Taiwan as the frontrunner in the region.
“We’re committed to creating a world that runs entirely on green energy and enabling long-term benefits to the economies and societies where we operate.”
8. Bhadla Solar Park
Developer: Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited
Managing Director: Anil Dhaka
Country: India
Capacity: 2.7 GW
The Bhadla Solar Park is in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan in India, covering an area of 56 square kilometres.
It is estimated that energy produced from this project helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around four million tonnes each year.
Its developer, Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited, is a joint venture between the Government of Rajasthan and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
The park has created around 10,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout its construction and operation alongside improving the reliability of electricity supply in the region.
7. Alta Wind Energy Centre
Developer: Terra-Gen Power
CEO: Jim Pagano
Country: USA
Capacity: 3 GW planned
Also known as Mojave Wind Farm, Alta Wind Energy Centre is located in Kern County, California.
The project was commissioned in 2010 and its initial phase, the Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project, contains 150 wind turbines.
Terra-Gen commissioned 190 3 MW turbines from Vestas in 2010, the largest order the company had ever received for a single site.
The wind farm was acquired by NRG Yield in 2014.
"Terra-Gen is proud of its role in the development and construction of the Alta Wind Energy Center, the largest wind farm in North America," said Jim Pagano, CEO of Terra-Gen.
"We are excited to transact with NRG Yield, an industry leader in power and renewable generation."
6. Ürümqi Solar Farm
Developer: PowerChina
General Manager: Wang Bin
Country: China
Capacity: 3.5 GW
The Ürümqi Solar Farm is located near its namesake Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang region.
It covers an area of nearly 33,000 acres and produces 6.1 billion kWh each year.
The farm was connected to the grid in June 2024.
The Xinjiang region has become a renewable energy hub with ideal conditions for solar power.
Much of the energy generated in this region is sent across long distances to China’s eastern seaboard that is densely populated.
5. Markbygden Wind Farm
Developers: Statkraft & Enercon
CEOs: Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal & Udo Bauer
Country: Sweden
Capacity: 4 GW planned
The Markbygden Wind Farm began construction in 2008 by developers Svevind and Enercon.
It has three phases encompassing 8 projects with a total of 500 turbines made by both Enercon and GE Vernova.
Svevind became part of leading Norwegian utility Statkraft in 2023 after founder Wolfgang Kropp’s team commissioned the project’s five hundredth wind turbine.
Jakob Norström, ex-CEO of Statkraft Sweden, said: “With his vision and his efforts, Wolfgang Kropp has not only managed to build a groundbreaking project for Scandinavia but has also built a team that will continue to make an important contribution to sustainable development for Sweden in the future.”
4. Hornsea Wind Farm
Developer: Ørsted
CEO: Rasmus Errboe
Country: UK
Capacity: 6 GW planned
Four offshore wind farms are being developed, constructed and operated by Ørsted as part of the Hornsea project.
Hornsea 1 and 2 are operational, with Hornsea 2 standing as the world’s largest offshore wind farm alone.
In 2024, The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero awarded Ørsted contracts for difference for a 1,080 MW share of the Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm, as well as a 2,400 MW CfD for Hornsea 4.
Duncan Clark, Senior Vice President and Head of UK & Ireland at Ørsted, said: “Offshore wind is key to the nation’s energy security and remains one of the most attractive forms of energy generation, offering low-cost, highly scalable electricity to UK bill payers.
“Ørsted and the wider industry stands ready to deliver with a substantial pipeline of developments.”
3. Dogger Bank Wind Farm
Developers: SSE Renewables & Equinor
CEOs: Stephen Wheeler & Anders Opedal
Country: UK
Capacity: 8.1 GW planned
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being constructed around 125km off the east coast of Yorkshire, England.
GE Vernovaâs Haliade-X offshore turbines are being used for the project â just one rotation of its blades generates enough energy to power an average home for two days.
The project has three phases of development confirmed, A, B and C, and a potential fourth phase is in the works that could have a capacity of 2GW.
Dogger Bankâs co-developers SSE and Equinor have established commercial terms of a proposed lease to progress Dogger Bank D, the potential fourth phase.
Halfdan Brustad, Equinorâs VP UK Renewables, said: âDogger Bank, the worldâs largest offshore wind farm, is a key example of what the offshore wind industry can offer, from security of electricity supply to economic growth and long-term jobs.â
2. Qinghai Golmud Solar Park
Developer: Longyuan Power
CEO: Gong Yufei
Country: China
Capacity: 16 GW planned
The Qinghai Golmud Solar Park is located in Golmud, the second-largest city in China’s Qinghai province.
It has a current capacity of 2.8 GW which is planned to increase to 16 GW.
The project’s construction began in July and finished in December of 2011, with some expansion in 2012 and the potential for far more on the horizon.
It uses a mix of modules, with polysilicone modules from Yingli and amorphous modules from Golden Sun Solar.
At its planned future capacity of 16 GW, the Qinghai Golmud Solar Park could power nearly half of all homes in the UK.
1. Gansu Wind Farm
Developer: Longyuan Power
CEO: Gong Yufei
Country: China
Capacity: 20 GW planned
The Gansu Wind Farm, also known as the Jiuquan Wind Power Base, is a group of large wind farms in China’s Gansu province.
It has a total generation capacity up to 10GW and is planned to reach 20GW with further expansions.
The project is one of six national wind power megaprojects approved by the Chinese government and began construction in 2009.
More than 20 developers are involved in the project including China Longyuan Power Group, Goldwind, Beyondsun and Gansu Guazhou Baofeng Wind Energy Development Co.
The wind farm sits in the Gobi Desert where there are regular high winds, however this is around 1,000 miles from high density cities that could be its biggest energy consumers.
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