Umair Gaines
North Korea has long struggled with energy shortages, which have hindered its economic development and negatively impacted its citizens' quality of life. As of 2022, 54.7% of North Korea's population had access to electricity, an increase from 52.6% in 2021, according to the World Bank. However, the country's energy sector continues to face challenges, with a reliance on outdated power plants and an insufficient investment in renewable energy sources. While the North Korean government has prioritized renewable energy development, the majority of the population still lacks consistent access to electricity, particularly in rural areas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of the country's energy that came from renewables | 70% |
| Percentage of energy from hydro generation | 26% |
| Percentage of energy from thermal generation | 16% |
| Total production of all electric energy producing facilities | 27 bn kWh |
| Percentage of total consumption in 2021 that was from renewable energy | 14.7% |
| Percentage of the population with access to electricity in 2019 | 26% |
| Percentage of the rural population with access to electricity in 2019 | 11% |
| Percentage of the urban population with access to electricity in 2019 | 36% |
| Percentage of population with access to electricity in 2021 | 52.6% |
| Percentage of population with access to electricity in 2022 | 54.7% |
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What You'll Learn
North Korea's electricity exports to China
North Korea has been facing a chronic inability to provide adequate and consistent electricity to its citizens, with the vast majority of North Koreans remaining severely energy deprived. The country's primary sources of power are hydroelectric power plants and coal-fired thermal plants, which together accounted for about 94% of North Korea's electricity production in 1997. However, North Korea has been exporting electricity to China, which has further exacerbated the domestic electricity shortage.
In February 2020, the State Affairs Commission of North Korea revealed that some of the electricity produced by a hydroelectric dam in North Pyongan Province, specifically the Supong Hydroelectric Generator in Sakju County, is being sold to China. This electricity is being used to power a Chinese factory that produces fire-proofing materials. The revenue generated from these energy sales is estimated to be between US $60,000 and $100,000 per month.
The decision to export electricity to China has reduced the absolute amount of energy supplied domestically, further worsening the electricity shortage in North Korea. This has resulted in priority being given to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il idolization sites, munitions factories, and essential government organizations, while many households are restricted to only 2 hours of power per day.
The bilateral electricity trade between China and North Korea has been studied by researchers, who have found that the cross-border power interconnection can bring economic and environmental benefits to both countries. The utilization rates of the transmission line between China and North Korea are very high, ranging from 98.90% to 99.95%.
To address its domestic electricity shortage, North Korea has been investing in various power production projects, including small- and medium-sized power plants, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power, and large-scale hydropower projects. However, these efforts have been inadequate, with North Korea's generating capacity rising only modestly compared to the significant increases seen in South Korea.
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Inequality in electricity access
North Korea faces chronic electricity shortages, with frequent "zero-electricity usage" days. The country's electricity situation has worsened in recent years, with growing inequality in electricity access. While the North Korean government does not release detailed energy data, estimates suggest that only about a quarter of the population had access to electricity in 2019, with a significant urban-rural divide. According to the CIA, 36% of the urban population and only 11% of the rural population had access to electricity that year.
The country's electricity supply relies on outdated thermal power stations and is heavily impacted by winter weather conditions, which freeze rivers and reduce water flow, affecting hydropower generation when demand is highest. North Korea has been investing in hydro projects, but these have had a modest impact on electricity production. Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and tidal power make up a small fraction of the country's electricity supply.
The North Korean government has prioritized supplying power to the arms industry, providing more than 18 hours of electricity daily to this sector, while ordinary households receive significantly less power, sometimes limited to just two hours a day. This inequality in electricity allocation has drawn criticism, highlighting the discrepancy between the government's "people-centered" policies and the reality of frequent power shortages for citizens.
According to data from 2022, 54.7% of North Korea's population had access to electricity, an increase from 52.6% in 2021. However, this is still significantly lower than the world average of 86.75%. While North Korea has a self-sufficient energy sector, exporting electricity to China, the domestic population faces ongoing power shortages and inconsistent supply.
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Electricity generation sources
North Korea's energy sector is notoriously opaque, with the state refusing to release data about its power generation capacity. As such, foreign estimates of the country's energy mix vary widely. Two of the most cited estimates come from Statistics Korea and the Nautilus Institute. Both agree that hydropower supplies the largest portion of electricity to the country. In 2021, renewable energy, including hydropower, accounted for around 14.7 percent of total consumption in North Korea. In 2020, Statistics Korea estimated that hydro supplied 12.8 TWh, while Nautilus estimated 10.7 TWh.
North Korea is heavily reliant on hydropower, which leads to shortages in winter when ice blocks the flow of rivers. To combat this, the country has invested in numerous hydro projects, both large and small. One such project is the Orangchon Power Station, a network of five stations in North Hamgyong Province that was completed in August 2022. Collectively, these five plants will contribute 134 megawatts to the national grid.
Other renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and tidal power, make up only a fraction of the national electricity supply. However, North Korea has been focusing its efforts on increasing solar energy production, with the largest solar venture being the North Phyongan Solar Plant, which consists of several thousand panels.
North Korea also generates electricity from thermal power, which consists mostly of coal-fired power plants. In 2020, Statistics Korea estimated that thermal power stations supplied 11.2 TWh of electricity, while Nautilus estimated this at just 3.3 TWh. These thermal power stations were built decades ago in collaboration with engineers from the former Soviet Union and China, and their outdated technology makes them inefficient.
Despite its domestic electricity shortage, North Korea is a net exporter of electricity to China, selling 413 gigawatts (GWh) of electricity in 2021, worth $16.9 million.
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North Korea's electricity shortage
North Korea faces chronic electricity shortages, with access to electricity being as low as 26% of the population in 2019, according to the CIA. This figure includes only 11% of the rural population and 36% of the urban population. The North Korean government rarely acknowledges these power problems directly. However, in a rare admission, Kim Jong Un stated that "production in coal mines and mines are being suspended because they are not receiving [enough] electricity."
The country's electricity shortage has worsened in recent years, with frequent ""zero-electricity usage" days and households receiving as little as two hours of electricity per day. This has rendered electric appliances such as refrigerators and laundry machines useless, forcing people to draw water from nearby rivers for laundry and other daily tasks.
The North Korean government has prioritized supplying power to the arms industry, which receives more than 18 hours of electricity daily. This has exacerbated the inequality in electricity allocation between military and civilian needs, with ordinary citizens facing reduced access to power.
The country's electricity generation infrastructure faces several challenges. While North Korea has the capacity to be self-sufficient in energy production, its thermal power stations, built decades ago with technology from the former Soviet Union and China, are outdated and inefficient. Hydropower, which takes advantage of the country's mountainous and riverine geography, is vulnerable to winter freezes and reduced water flow, leading to decreased electricity production when demand is highest. Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and tidal power make up only a small fraction of the national electricity supply.
Despite its domestic electricity shortage, North Korea exports electricity to China. In 2021, North Korea sold 413 gigawatts (GWh) of electricity to China, worth $16.9 million. This export of electricity has become an important source of revenue for the country, especially as foreign trade has declined in recent years.
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Renewable energy sources
According to the World Bank, 52.63% of North Korea's population had access to electricity in 2021. Many households are restricted to 2 hours of power per day due to the priority given to manufacturing plants. While the North Korean regime regularly promises to solve the electricity problem, the majority of its citizens remain severely energy-deprived.
North Korea's primary sources of power are hydropower and coal. The country has invested in large hydroelectric power stations and continues to develop new hydro projects. However, hydropower has a major weakness: frigid winter temperatures freeze rivers and reduce water flow, causing electricity shortages when demand is highest.
In recent years, North Korea has also turned to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power. Solar panels are increasingly common on rooftops and balconies across the country. The largest solar venture to date has been the North Phyongan Solar Plant, which consists of several thousand panels. While renewable energy sources currently make up only a fraction of the national electricity supply, North Korea's emphasis on smaller, localised power plants may favour further development in this area.
North Korea also has oil refineries and imports crude oil from a pipeline in China. However, the end of below-market-price deals with the Soviet Union after the Cold War led to an explosive rise in oil prices and a drop in imports.
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Frequently asked questions
An official from the Ministry of Electric Power Industry stated in 2021 that 70% of North Korea's energy comes from renewables. However, other sources place the figure at 14.7% in 2021.
North Korea's total production of electricity is 27 billion kWh, which is 118% of its own requirements.
The CIA stated that 26% of North Korea's population had access to electricity in 2019, with only 11% of the population in rural areas and 36% in urban areas. However, a 2022 figure places the number at 54.7%.
North Korea's primary source of electricity is hydropower, with numerous hydropower stations coming online in recent years.
Yes, North Korea exports electricity to China. In 2021, North Korea sold 413 gigawatts (GWh) of electricity to China, worth $16.9 million.
