Electricity in Serbia in 2023

In 2023, Serbia's electricity consumption profile featured a substantial reliance on fossil fuels. Almost 61% of the country's energy was sourced from coal, with a minor share of roughly 1.4% coming from gas. In total, roughly 61% of Serbia's electricity generation was derived from fossil fuels. On the other hand, the contribution of low-carbon energy stood at about 38%. Within this, the lion's share was attributed to hydropower at nearly 35%. Wind energy made up a smaller slice of the pie at approximately 2.7%, indicating that Serbia's energy sector was majorly fossil fuel-focused rather than low-carbon centered.

Suggestions

To enhance low-carbon electricity generation, Serbia can draw valuable lessons from countries with successful clean energy models. The country features a notable potential for nuclear energy expansion, a prospect backed by the considerable success of France, Slovakia, and Ukraine where 66%, 61%, and 58% of their electricity respectively comes from nuclear sources. Adopting similar strategies could significantly improve Serbia's clean energy portfolio. Furthermore, the wind energy success stories of Denmark and Germany, which respectively generate 59% and 30% of electricity from wind, could inspire Serbia to tap into its own wind potential to a greater extent. Examining successful strategies used in a neighboring country like Bulgaria, which draws over 41% of its electricity from nuclear energy, could provide even more region-specific insights into how to enhance Serbia's low-carbon energy generation.

History

In Serbia, low-carbon electricity has had a rather fluctuating history, particularly for hydropower generation. In the early 1990s, hydropower experienced a mild uptick, starting from an increase of 2 TWh in 1991, but this was followed by a decline of 1 TWh in 1993. Similar sporadic changes continued throughout that decade, contributing to a seemingly unclear trend in hydropower generation. In fact, this trend persisted into the new millennium with intermittent periods of increases and decreases. Notably, the year 2011 marked a significant drop with a decrease of 3.2 TWh in hydropower electricity generation. However, fluctuations continued into the 2020s with periods of both rise and decline.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Maximum Imports

Data Sources