Electricity in Yemen in 2021

In 2021, Yemen's electricity consumption was primarily fossil-fuel driven with nearly 4 TWh generated from such sources. This includes about 2.92 TWh from other fossil sources and an additional 1.01 TWh from gas. Unfortunately, these figures suggest that the Yemen's energy consumption is heavily reliant on non-low-carbon energy sources. Compared to the global average electricity use of 410 watts per person, Yemen's consumption is significantly lower, which inevitably hampers the country's development and growth. The low levels of electricity generation also lead to limited access to essential services, such as healthcare and education, which rely heavily on electricity.

Suggestions

There are avenues for Yemen to increase its low-carbon electricity generation. For example, building on the existing solar energy infrastructure presents a viable solution, as the country already generates a substantial amount of energy this way. Looking abroad for inspiration, there are a number of countries that Yemen could emulate. For instance, the People's Republic of China has had great success with both wind and solar energy, generating impressive amounts of 964 TWh and 523 TWh respectively. Similarly, countries like the United States with 775 TWh and France with 319 TWh have shown how electricity generation can be significantly bolstered through the use of nuclear power.

History

Low-carbon electricity in Yemen has a relatively recent, but encouraging history. From the available data, it appears that the use of solar energy began around 2015 with a minor yet significant generation of 0.1 TWh, marking the beginning of Yemen's journey with low-carbon electricity. Then in 2018, there was a three-fold increase in solar electricity generation to 0.3 TWh, representing another significant step in the country's clean energy journey. However, this has stagnated somewhat in the following years with no notable changes except for a modest increase of 0.1 TWh in 2021. Despite these minor fluctuations, the trend of expanding solar electricity generation is a promising one for Yemen's clean energy future.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources