Electricity in Congo - Kinshasa in 2023
In 2023, the electricity consumption landscape in Congo - Kinshasa signifies substantial reliance on low-carbon energy sources, with over 15 TWh generated by clean energy technologies. Hydropower takes the lead in this category, contributing around 14 TWh, while solar energy contributes about 2 TWh. Additionally, net imports deliver a little over 1 TWh. Despite this focus on low-carbon energy, the total electricity consumption per capita remains significantly lower compared to the global average of 3813 watts per person. This gap could imply challenges in economic development and modernization, as limited electricity availability might hinder technological advancement, industrialization, and improvements in quality of life. Furthermore, the reliance on low-carbon sources is a positive direction towards tackling climate change impacts, compared to fossil fuels which contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Suggestions
To bolster its clean energy footprint, Congo - Kinshasa could expand its solar energy capacity, given its already established impact. Learning from countries with significant solar power output, such as India (134 TWh) and Germany (71 TWh), Congo - Kinshasa can take lessons on scalable solar technology deployment and policy frameworks encouraging investment in this sector. Moreover, coupling solar expansion with potential nuclear energy development could provide a reliable and consistent energy framework, similar to countries like France and Canada, who succeed in integrating nuclear power with other clean energy resources. Leveraging these successful examples could significantly improve Congo - Kinshasa's electricity reliability and sustainability and potentially bridge the consumption gap in the long term.
History
Historically, Congo - Kinshasa's focus on hydropower is evident, notably during the late 1990s and 2000s when hydroelectric generation saw a number of fluctuations, such as increases in 2000 and 2004, balanced by decreases in years like 1993 and 1997. This inconsistency highlights both opportunities and challenges in hydropower development. More prominently, recent decades have experienced steady progress, with notable increments in hydropower around 2018 to 2023. The introduction of solar energy in 2021, and its doubling by 2022, underscores a vital shift towards diverse clean energy adoption. This builds a promising trajectory for Congo - Kinshasa in achieving energy sustainability and may serve as a foundation for further investments in nuclear power and enhanced solar capabilities.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.