Trystan Casey
North Korea has been facing a chronic shortage of electricity for decades, with the country unable to generate enough electricity to meet its needs. The North Korean government has attempted to address the power shortage by investing in renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines, but these initiatives have had limited success. While those in Pyongyang may receive power every day, rolling blackouts are common, and rural areas may only receive power for an hour a day or even just one day a year. The electricity shortage has disrupted daily life, with residents unable to use elevators in high-rise apartments and facing difficulties in accessing basic services such as public transportation and medical care.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Primary energy use | 224 TWh and 9 TWh per million people in 2009 |
| Primary sources of power | Hydro and coal |
| Percentage of population with access to electricity in 2021 | 52.63% |
| Per capita electricity consumption in 1990 | 1247 kilowatt hours |
| Per capita electricity consumption in 2000 | 712 kilowatt hours |
| Percentage of electrified urban areas in 2017 | 36% |
| Percentage of electrified rural areas in 2017 | 11% |
| Number of North Koreans without electricity in 2017 | 19 million |
| Percentage of energy from renewables according to a North Korean official | 70% |
| North Korea's thermal power production capacity in 2020 according to Statistics Korea | 11.2 TWh |
| North Korea's thermal power production capacity in 2020 according to Nautilus | 3.3 TWh |
| Number of solar panels at the North Phyongan Solar Plant | Several thousand |
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What You'll Learn
Hydro power reliance leads to winter shortages
North Korea has an abundance of rivers and mountains, making it an ideal geography for hydropower. Former leader Kim Jong Il recognised this and implemented plans to build large hydroelectric power plants across the country. The country's current leader, Kim Jong Un, has continued this initiative, emphasising the importance of constructing more hydroelectric power stations.
Despite the country's natural advantages and efforts to increase hydroelectric power, North Korea faces significant energy shortages, especially during the winter months. The extreme cold causes rivers to freeze or reduces water flow, resulting in decreased electricity production when the demand is highest. Climate change has exacerbated this issue, with droughts decreasing river sizes and further reducing water flow. The impact of climate change was evident in 2015, when rivers that had been producing 13 billion kilowatt-hours (BkWh) of electricity annually for a decade dropped to 10 BkWh due to the drought.
The reliance on hydropower, which is vulnerable to seasonal changes, has led to inconsistent electricity supply across the country. While those in Pyongyang may experience daily power outages, some remote areas may only receive electricity one day a year. The uneven distribution of electricity has hindered economic development, affecting industrial production and keeping living standards low.
To address the energy shortage, North Korea has explored alternative sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power. However, these sources currently make up only a fraction of the national electricity supply. The country also exports electricity to China, which brings in revenue but may contribute to the domestic shortage.
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Power diverted from provinces to Pyongyang
North Korea has been facing a severe electricity crisis, with the majority of its citizens remaining severely energy deprived. While the regime has promised to solve the electricity problem, power remains a luxury for many. This is especially true for those in the provinces, who have to endure long stretches without electricity, while Pyongyang, the capital city, enjoys a continuous power supply.
Pyongyang is North Korea's largest city and is often referred to as the "Capital of the Revolution". It has a population of over 3 million people and is home to several large department stores. The city's politics and management are dominated by the Workers' Party of Korea, with the Pyongyang Party Committee acting as the de facto mayor.
To address the frequent power shortages in Pyongyang, two power stations were built in Chagang Province: Huichon Power Stations 1 and 2. These power stations supply the city through direct transmission lines. However, this newfound abundance of power has come at the expense of the people in the provinces, who are now facing even longer periods without electricity.
A high-ranking official in the city of Manpo, Chagang Province, confirmed that Pyongyang was drawing a significant amount of power from the province. The official stated that before the construction of Ryomyong Street, a residential area in Pyongyang that includes a 70-storey skyscraper, the province used to be self-sufficient. However, since 2016, the increasing demand for electricity in Pyongyang has severely impacted the electricity supply in Chagang.
The central government has been rerouting power from across the country to Pyongyang to fulfil Kim Jong-un's promise to build 50,000 new homes by 2025. This has resulted in an extravagant lifestyle for Pyongyang residents, with well-lit streets and continuous power supply, while those in the provinces struggle to access basic necessities like cooking fuel.
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Ineffective power plants
North Korea's thermal power stations, which make up a significant part of the country's energy mix, are outdated and inefficient. The power plants were built decades ago in collaboration with engineers from the former Soviet Union and China, and the outdated technology makes them ineffective. The thermal capacity has not increased significantly over the years, and the country has instead turned to other sources of energy.
The country's primary sources of power are hydro and coal, with coal taking up more than 80% of the country's energy production. However, coal production has decreased rapidly since the early 1990s, and existing mines are not yielding as much coal as before. The coal-fired power plants are old, and their final products are of low quality and environmentally harmful. Management failures and accidents are also common.
In recent years, North Korea has invested in hydro projects, both large and small, to increase its electricity production capacity. However, hydropower has a major weakness: the freezing temperatures in winter reduce water flow, decreasing electricity production when the country needs it the most. Despite these challenges, North Korea continues to prioritize its nuclear weapons program, diverting resources away from addressing its energy needs.
The country has also instituted a system of small and medium-sized power plants to meet electricity demands in small factories and homes. However, these efforts have been inadequate, and North Korea's total generating capacity has risen slowly compared to South Korea's rapid growth over the same period. The country's power shortages are further exacerbated by the sale of electricity to China, despite its domestic shortage.
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Poor energy infrastructure in rural areas
North Korea has been facing a chronic shortage of electricity for decades. The country's energy problems are almost as old as the country itself, and the regime has regularly promised to solve the issue. However, the vast majority of North Koreans remain severely energy-deprived, with the energy crisis creating serious disruptions to daily life.
The country's mountainous terrain has made it suitable for dam construction, and hydroelectric power has been the primary source of energy for North Korea. However, this has been subject to seasonal fluctuations, with winter shortages due to low rainfall and ice blocking the flow of rivers. The country has also historically relied on coal, which comprised over 80% of its energy production, the highest ratio globally. However, coal production has rapidly declined since the early 1990s, and existing mines are not yielding as much coal as before.
The focus on large-scale hydro and coal power plants has resulted in a poorly connected national grid system with transmission problems. The small-scale hydropower plants that serve local areas do not transmit large amounts of electricity across the nation, and the country's crumbling power transmission network has been unable to meet energy demands. This has disproportionately affected rural areas, with people in remote locations only getting power one day a year.
To address the power shortage, North Korea has been investing in renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. These off-grid energy systems are economically favorable and ideal for powering rural residential areas. In 2019, it was estimated that 55% of North Korean households used solar panels. However, these initiatives have had a limited impact on addressing the electricity crisis, providing just enough power to keep the lights or television on.
The uneven distribution of electricity has hampered the country's economic development, keeping living standards low for most of the population. While Pyongyang residents may experience daily power outages, people in rural areas have been forced to go without electricity as authorities reroute power to the capital. The government's prioritization of electrifying large military facilities over rural residential communities has further exacerbated the energy inequality between urban and rural areas.
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Lack of transparency on energy data
North Korea's energy sector is notoriously opaque, with the state refusing to release data about its power generation capacity. This lack of transparency makes it challenging to fully understand the country's energy situation and hampers efforts to address the country's chronic electricity shortages.
The North Korean government's reluctance to share data means that foreign estimates of the country's energy production and capacity vary widely. For instance, for 2020, Statistics Korea estimated North Korea's total electricity supply at 23.9 terawatt-hours (TWh), while the Nautilus Institute estimated a significantly lower figure of 14 TWh. These discrepancies underscore the uncertainty surrounding North Korea's energy sector.
The lack of transparency extends to the country's energy mix. While it is known that hydropower is the largest source of electricity in North Korea, there are conflicting estimates of the proportion of energy supplied by hydro power plants. Statistics Korea and the Nautilus Institute both agree that the amount of energy from hydropower is slowly rising, but they diverge in their assessments of the country's thermal power production capacity, which consists mostly of coal-fired power plants.
The North Korean government's lack of transparency on energy data is likely due to a desire to control the narrative and portray an image of strength and progress. State media frequently reports on increases in output from power stations and showcases beautifully lit-up monuments and skyscrapers in Pyongyang. However, these reports and images may not reflect the reality on the ground, as power shortages continue to disrupt the daily lives of North Koreans.
The lack of reliable data makes it challenging for the international community to engage and assist in addressing North Korea's energy challenges. Without transparency, it is difficult to accurately assess the country's needs and develop effective solutions, leaving North Koreans to endure the consequences of power shortages, including limited access to electricity, disruptions to medical care, and impaired economic development.
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Frequently asked questions
North Korea's electricity shortage is due to its reliance on hydropower, which leads to shortages in winter when there is little rainfall and ice blocks the flow of rivers.
North Korea has tried to solve its electricity shortage by investing in various power production projects, including solar panels, coal-fired power plants, and lignite-powered plants.
No, North Korea's electricity supply has improved since the Kim Jong-un era. Previously, 24-hour blackouts were a routine occurrence, but now the capital Pyongyang has a constant supply of electricity.
Yes, North Korea generates its own electricity through hydropower and coal-fired power plants. However, it also imports crude oil and refined fuel from China.
