In 2023, Bahrain’s electricity consumption depended almost entirely on fossil fuels: gas supplied about 99.7% of its electricity. Low-carbon electricity accounted for only a tiny fraction, leaving considerable scope to develop a cleaner electricity supply. Expanding clean generation would help reduce the climate impacts and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Bahrain?

Electricity consumption per person declined slightly in 2023, reaching about 23,050 kWh compared with the 2022 record of about 23,290 kWh—a fall of roughly 1%. Low-carbon electricity generation per person, however, rose from 52 to a record 57 kWh, an increase of about 10%. That clean electricity growth is encouraging, although it starts from a very small base. The decline in overall consumption per person warrants attention as electrification and AI create additional electricity needs; these figures alone do not establish whether total national electricity consumption grew.

Suggestions

Bahrain can increase low-carbon electricity generation by prioritizing solar development and considering nuclear power. The nearby United Arab Emirates provides a particularly relevant regional example, generating about a fifth of its electricity from nuclear. France, where nuclear supplies roughly two-thirds of electricity, demonstrates its potential to provide clean electricity at scale. For solar, Bahrain could learn from sunny regions such as the US state of Nevada, where solar supplies about 35% of electricity, and Cyprus, where it supplies almost a quarter. Expanding rooftop and larger solar installations, alongside planning for nuclear generation and stronger regional electricity connections, could support a much larger clean electricity supply.

History

The available historical data show no reported year-on-year change in Bahrain’s solar electricity generation in any year from 2020 through 2023, with each annual change recorded as 0 TWh. This indicates stagnation at the precision reported, rather than proving that solar generation itself was zero. The absence of a visible increase over these four years is disappointing and highlights the need to accelerate solar development alongside other low-carbon electricity options.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade