Benin energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Benin produced 1 TWh of electricity in 2024. Natural gas dominates the mix with 72.3%, followed by oil at 23.8% and solar power at 4%.
Electricity generation by source in 2024
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | 0.73 | 72.3% | +42.9 |
| Oil | 0.24 | 23.8% | −46.8 |
| Solar | 0.04 | 4% | +4 |
| Total | 1.01 | 100% |
Benin: electricity in context
Power plants in Benin produced 1 TWh of electricity in 2024. That puts it in the same league as Aruba. Natural gas dominates the mix with 72.3%, followed by oil at 23.8% and solar power at 4%.
Renewables supplied 4% of the electricity, which ranks Benin 142nd of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). That is 30 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Africa (24.7%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 584 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. The grid is more carbon-intensive than the world average. In the cleanest-grid ranking, Benin is 120th of 158.
Since 2014, the fastest-growing source has been natural gas: its output rose by 630 GWh, lifting its share by 42.9 percentage points. The net effect: renewables gained 4 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation grew by 670 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 647 to 584 g/kWh, a 10% cut.
Coal has essentially never been burned for electricity here: its share has stayed below 1% throughout the record.
Solar (4%) and wind (0%) now add up to 4% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2019.
Generation per person is 70 kWh a year, 2% of the world average of 3,860 kWh. Benin is a net importer of electricity, buying 1.3 TWh more than it sells, about 56% of its demand.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 2000. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Benin against the world and Africa averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Per person, that is 1,897 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Benin
The 2 power plants recorded in Benin add up to 0.1 GW of capacity, 67% of it Gas. The largest is Akpakpa at 41 MW. The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akpakpa | Gas | 41 | — | — |
| 2 | Cotonou | Oil | 20 | — | — |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 2 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Benin
9 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 28 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 102 MW under construction or planned.
How does Benin compare?
Benin next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benin | 4% | 4% | 96% | 584 | 70 | 1 | — | |
| Nigeria | 31.3% | 31.3% | 68.7% | 456 | 175 | 41.5 | Compare | |
| Burkina Faso | 17.2% | 17.2% | 82.8% | 562 | 72 | 1.7 | Compare | |
| Niger | 3.2% | 3.2% | 96.8% | 674 | 35 | 1 | Compare | |
| Togo | 29.6% | 29.6% | 70.4% | 423 | 84 | 0.7 | Compare | |
| Ghana | 36.2% | 36.2% | 63.8% | 469 | 705 | 24.3 | Compare | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 28.9% | 28.9% | 71.1% | 405 | 338 | 10.8 | Compare | |
| Africa average | 24.7% | 25.5% | 74.5% | 544 | 635 | 962 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Benin
Benin energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Benin is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Benin?
How clean is the electricity in Benin?
Does Benin have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Benin use per person?
How much solar power does Benin produce?
Does Benin import electricity?
More countries in Africa
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2024. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.