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22% of global electricity is generated from Gas

21.83 % Share of global electricity
490 gCO2eq/kWh Carbon Intensity

Gas energy, also known as natural gas, is a type of fossil fuel that is formed from the organic material of plants and animals that decomposed millions of years ago. This form of energy is harnessed from reservoirs beneath the earth's surface using drilling and extraction techniques. It is used extensively around the globe for heating, cooking, transportation, and electricity generation due to its abundance and cost-effectiveness.

To produce electricity from gas, power plants utilize gas-fired turbines. The process involves burning the natural gas to produce high-pressure steam, which then turns the turbine blades. This mechanical energy is then converted into electrical energy through a generator. The fact that it is a reliable and consistent energy source is an advantage as it can meet the demand for electricity 24/7.

Nonetheless, despite its significance in electricity generation, gas energy has a considerable environmental footprint. Its average carbon intensity is 490 gCO2eq/kWh, significantly higher than low-carbon energy sources such as wind (11 gCO2eq/kWh), nuclear (12 gCO2eq/kWh), and solar energy (45 gCO2eq/kWh). This means that gas energy contributes a disproportionately large share of greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector, exacerbating climate change.

Moreover, the combustion of natural gas also contributes to air pollution. The process releases harmful pollutants such as methane, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. These pollutants can harm human health, lead to respiratory illnesses and heart conditions. They also contribute to acid rain and ground-level ozone, which are detrimental to the environment.

In comparison, low-carbon energy sources like wind, nuclear, and solar are cleaner alternatives. They emit comparatively negligible amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, making them more environmentally friendly. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and air pollution, transitioning to these low-carbon, sustainable energy sources becomes all the more paramount.

Country/Region Watts / person % TWh
Bahrain 23169.8 W 99.9% 35.5 TWh
Qatar 18915.2 W 100.0% 56.4 TWh
United Arab Emirates 11175.4 W 72.0% 118.9 TWh
Kuwait 10663.8 W 58.3% 51.6 TWh
Brunei 9860.0 W 78.1% 4.5 TWh
Singapore 9697.6 W 96.0% 56.1 TWh
Oman 8547.8 W 100.0% 43.2 TWh
Saudi Arabia 7968.0 W 62.7% 265.1 TWh
Israel 5635.4 W 67.6% 51.3 TWh
United States 5353.3 W 41.8% 1838.8 TWh
Republic of China (Taiwan) 5064.3 W 41.2% 118.1 TWh
Russia 3584.4 W 44.9% 521.3 TWh
Iran 3576.0 W 82.0% 324.0 TWh
Malta 3393.4 W 85.2% 1.8 TWh
Belarus 3347.8 W 79.5% 30.7 TWh
Libya 2973.5 W 69.0% 21.5 TWh
South Korea 2936.8 W 26.5% 152.0 TWh
Hong Kong SAR China 2877.1 W 44.3% 21.5 TWh
Ireland 2654.0 W 39.9% 13.8 TWh
Azerbaijan 2623.5 W 93.3% 27.0 TWh
Japan 2503.1 W 32.3% 311.3 TWh
Netherlands 2288.4 W 35.0% 41.4 TWh
Puerto Rico 2202.3 W 44.2% 7.1 TWh
Canada 2098.8 W 13.9% 82.5 TWh
Malaysia 1970.9 W 36.9% 69.2 TWh
Thailand 1928.2 W 59.6% 138.3 TWh
Algeria 1915.7 W 98.8% 87.1 TWh
Uzbekistan 1891.3 W 84.3% 66.1 TWh
Greece 1857.3 W 38.8% 19.0 TWh
Iraq 1799.2 W 66.6% 79.3 TWh
Mexico 1675.7 W 62.2% 217.4 TWh
Tunisia 1666.3 W 86.1% 20.3 TWh
Moldova 1566.8 W 88.2% 4.8 TWh
Egypt 1560.4 W 81.2% 178.7 TWh
Italy 1517.1 W 31.4% 90.3 TWh
Australia 1483.3 W 15.0% 39.2 TWh
Jordan 1413.4 W 72.1% 15.9 TWh
Argentina 1390.1 W 43.9% 63.3 TWh
Armenia 1322.5 W 43.4% 3.8 TWh
Kazakhstan 1151.5 W 20.3% 23.4 TWh
United Kingdom 1136.8 W 26.5% 78.1 TWh
Jamaica 943.9 W 58.4% 2.7 TWh
Latvia 907.5 W 24.6% 1.7 TWh
Belgium 890.0 W 12.2% 10.4 TWh
Spain 838.6 W 15.4% 40.2 TWh
New Zealand 807.6 W 9.3% 4.2 TWh
The World 787.0 W 21.8% 6368.4 TWh
Croatia 761.1 W 16.0% 3.0 TWh
EU 757.8 W 13.2% 341.5 TWh
Georgia 756.4 W 19.6% 2.9 TWh
Dominican Republic 720.3 W 37.6% 8.1 TWh
Peru 713.2 W 40.7% 24.1 TWh
Turkey 691.0 W 18.5% 60.3 TWh
Bolivia 641.9 W 67.2% 7.9 TWh
Chile 636.8 W 14.0% 12.5 TWh
Hungary 619.1 W 13.5% 6.0 TWh
North Macedonia 597.3 W 19.1% 1.1 TWh
Germany 594.7 W 10.6% 50.3 TWh
Romania 551.0 W 19.3% 10.5 TWh
Austria 543.7 W 7.3% 5.0 TWh
Equatorial Guinea 543.4 W 66.7% 1.0 TWh
Portugal 482.8 W 8.3% 5.0 TWh
Congo - Brazzaville 480.5 W 72.5% 2.9 TWh
Venezuela 469.6 W 15.7% 13.3 TWh
Gabon 469.0 W 39.0% 1.1 TWh
Ghana 429.3 W 63.2% 14.2 TWh
Syria 404.7 W 53.9% 9.1 TWh
Panama 402.2 W 13.2% 1.8 TWh
Poland 384.8 W 9.3% 14.9 TWh
Slovakia 368.0 W 6.7% 2.0 TWh
Colombia 355.3 W 20.1% 18.6 TWh
Macao SAR China 354.9 W 4.4% 0.3 TWh
Denmark 315.9 W 5.5% 1.9 TWh
Bulgaria 312.4 W 5.7% 2.1 TWh
Norway 307.0 W 1.1% 1.7 TWh
Lithuania 287.2 W 5.8% 0.8 TWh
Czechia 277.0 W 4.2% 3.0 TWh
France 273.7 W 3.5% 18.2 TWh
Bangladesh 272.5 W 44.9% 46.7 TWh
Finland 261.2 W 1.8% 1.5 TWh
Côte d’Ivoire 251.7 W 68.8% 7.7 TWh
Vietnam 247.1 W 8.4% 24.8 TWh
El Salvador 228.2 W 18.2% 1.4 TWh
Indonesia 217.8 W 17.4% 61.2 TWh
Slovenia 200.7 W 2.9% 0.4 TWh
People's Republic of China 189.4 W 2.9% 269.5 TWh
Brazil 181.9 W 5.3% 38.4 TWh
Ukraine 175.0 W 6.3% 7.2 TWh
Philippines 163.6 W 15.9% 18.8 TWh
Cuba 145.6 W 8.8% 1.6 TWh
Pakistan 142.5 W 27.8% 35.3 TWh
Serbia 118.6 W 2.5% 0.8 TWh
Myanmar (Burma) 109.9 W 32.8% 6.0 TWh
Nigeria 106.8 W 75.2% 24.3 TWh
Barbados 106.3 W 2.8% 0.0 TWh
Luxembourg 104.5 W 1.5% 0.1 TWh
Mozambique 97.1 W 16.7% 3.2 TWh
Tanzania 93.6 W 66.1% 6.1 TWh
Papua New Guinea 89.2 W 18.8% 0.9 TWh
Cameroon 86.1 W 29.3% 2.4 TWh
Togo 64.9 W 35.1% 0.6 TWh
Benin 64.7 W 48.9% 0.9 TWh
Ecuador 56.2 W 2.8% 1.0 TWh
Morocco 55.9 W 4.7% 2.1 TWh
Angola 46.9 W 9.9% 1.7 TWh
India 39.5 W 3.0% 56.8 TWh
Tajikistan 32.4 W 1.6% 0.3 TWh
Suriname 32.1 W 1.0% 0.0 TWh
Estonia 27.5 W 0.5% 0.0 TWh
Uruguay 26.6 W 0.7% 0.1 TWh
Guyana 24.3 W 1.8% 0.0 TWh
Kyrgyzstan 21.6 W 0.9% 0.1 TWh
Rwanda 17.6 W 24.0% 0.2 TWh
Yemen 14.1 W 18.3% 0.5 TWh
Niger 2.4 W 3.1% 0.1 TWh
Senegal 1.7 W 0.4% 0.0 TWh
Guatemala 0.6 W 0.1% 0.0 TWh
Sweden 0.3 W 0.0% 0.0 TWh
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