BEIJING — China added 4.78 million kilowatts of wind energy capacity in the first quarter of 2019, data from the National Energy Administration showed.

Northwest China’s Qinghai province led the country in terms of newly installed wind energy capacity by adding 680,000 kW of wind power during the period.

Provinces of Henan and Hebei ranked second and third respectively with newly installed capacity reaching 660,000 kW and 450,000 kW.

China has increased its investment in renewable energy in recent years as the world’s largest energy market continues to shift away from dirty coal power toward cleaner fuels.

The country generated 104.1 billion kWh of electricity from wind power during the first quarter, up 6.3 percent year-on-year.