As of 2022, North Korea's electricity consumption is predominantly low-carbon, with more than half of its electricity—around 63%—originating from clean sources. Hydropower is the major contributor to this category, accounting for 62% of total electricity. On the other hand, fossil fuels make up nearly 37% of the electricity consumed in the country. Within this category, coal is the dominant source, contributing almost 35% of the total electricity. This significant reliance on low-carbon electricity, particularly hydropower, demonstrates North Korea's capability to maintain a clean energy profile, which is a commendable step toward sustainable electricity generation.
Is Electricity Growing in North Korea?
The trajectory of electricity consumption in North Korea reflects a significant decline from its previous highs. In 2022, the average electricity consumption was roughly 1008 kilowatt-hours per person, which shows a substantial decrease from the record of 1707 kilowatt-hours per person achieved in 1988. This constitutes a nearly 41% drop in per capita electricity consumption over the years. Likewise, low-carbon electricity generation, which contributed 636 kilowatt-hours per person in 2022, also saw a decline from 739 kilowatt-hours per person back in 1990. These reductions are concerning and underscore the need for revitalization and growth in electricity generation to meet current and future demands.
Suggestions
To boost low-carbon electricity generation, North Korea could explore diversifying its clean energy portfolio. Learning from regions successfully utilizing wind and solar power could prove beneficial. For instance, Denmark generates 57% of its electricity from wind, and Chile achieves 23% from solar. Nuclear energy is another vital avenue, with countries like France and Slovakia generating more than 60% of their electricity from nuclear sources. By studying these regions, North Korea can develop a mixed strategy involving wind, solar, and nuclear energy, alongside its existing hydropower infrastructure, to enhance its electricity generation capabilities in a sustainable and low-carbon manner.
History
Throughout the decades, North Korea's trajectory in low-carbon electricity has seen fluctuations. The early 1980s witnessed incremental growth in hydropower with small annual increases. The late 1990s marked a period of decline, primarily with hydroelectric generation shrinking notably, with consecutive years of downturn in 1992 and 1993. Positive changes appeared sporadically, for example, a rise during 2003 and from 2016 onwards. However, these were often offset by significant downturns like those in 2015 and 2019. The recent years, particularly 2020 and 2021, showed promising growth with notable gains. Moving forward, it is crucial for North Korea to maintain a stable upward trajectory in its clean electricity generation to ensure a reliable, sustainable energy future.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.