In 2023, Algeria’s electricity consumption depended almost entirely on fossil fuels, which supplied about 99% of the total. Gas alone accounted for nearly 99%, with other fossil sources contributing less than 1%. Low-carbon electricity supplied only about 1%. This leaves substantial room to expand clean electricity and reduce the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Algeria?

Electricity consumption per person is growing: it reached a new record of about 2,090 kWh in 2023, up 75 kWh, or nearly 4%, from the previous record in 2022. That growth is welcome as electrification and new industries increase electricity needs. However, low-carbon electricity generation has not kept pace: at about 20 kWh per person, it remained roughly 8 kWh below its 1985 record, according to the supplied comparison. This long-running shortfall makes accelerating clean electricity generation particularly important.

Suggestions

Algeria should prioritize a major solar expansion while developing nuclear electricity to support a larger, low-carbon supply. Relevant solar examples include sunny Mediterranean regions such as Cyprus and Spain, where solar generates about 23% of electricity, and the US state of Nevada, where it supplies about 35%. For nuclear development, Algeria could learn from the United Arab Emirates, where nuclear provides 20% of electricity, and France, where it supplies roughly two-thirds. Neighboring Morocco also offers a useful wind example, generating 20% of its electricity from wind. Clear development plans, investment in electricity networks, and workforce training would help Algeria translate these lessons into growing clean electricity production.

History

Historically, Algeria’s recorded low-carbon electricity changes were dominated by hydro. During the 1980s, annual increases of around 0.2–0.3 TWh alternated with decreases of around 0.3–0.4 TWh. The 1990s and 2000s followed a similar pattern of modest gains and reversals, with individual changes generally between 0.1 and 0.3 TWh. In the early 2010s, hydro increased by 0.3 TWh in 2011 before falling by the same amount in 2013. Solar delivered an encouraging increase of 0.5 TWh in 2017, while hydro declined by 0.2 TWh that year. Overall, these figures show intermittent gains rather than sustained clean electricity expansion, underscoring the opportunity for a much stronger solar and nuclear build-out.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade