Kuwait energy mix & electricity
Electricity generation in Kuwait reached 92.5 TWh in 2025. More than half of it, 62%, came from natural gas; oil was a distant second with 35.8%.
Electricity generation by source in 2025
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 | 57.35 | 62% | +6.7 |
| Oil | 33.07 | 35.8% | −8.9 |
| Wind | 1.86 | 2% | +2 |
| Solar | 0.21 | 0.2% | +0.2 |
| Total | 92.49 | 100% |
Kuwait: electricity in context
Electricity generation in Kuwait reached 92.5 TWh in 2025. That is similar to Colombia. More than half of it, 62%, came from natural gas; oil was a distant second with 35.8%.
2.2% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 146th of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). This puts it 32 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). Each kilowatt-hour emitted on average 635 g CO₂e, against a world average of 458 g. That makes it one of the more carbon-intensive grids in the world. On carbon intensity, Kuwait ranks 132nd of 158 from the cleanest.
Since 2015, the fastest-growing source has been natural gas: its output rose by 19.6 TWh, lifting its share by 6.7 percentage points. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 2.2 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 24.2 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 651 to 635 g/kWh, a 2% cut.
Coal has never been part of the power mix in Kuwait in any meaningful way.
Wind and solar together provided 2.2% of electricity (solar 0.2%, wind 2%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 42 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Wind adds 370 kWh per person.
Kuwait generates 18,402 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 4.8 times the global average. Kuwait does not trade electricity with other countries: the grid is not interconnected with any neighbour.
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
Kuwait against the world and Asia averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 0.1% of primary energy and fossil fuels 99.9% (2024). Per person, that is 106,400 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Kuwait
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 9 utility-scale plants in Kuwait with a combined capacity of 17.8 GW. Gas plants account for the largest slice (100% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Az Zour South CCGT (5,805 MW, Gas). 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 | Az Zour South CCGT | Gas | 5,805 | — | — |
| 2 | Sabiya | Gas | 5,367 | — | — |
| 3 | Doha West | Gas | 2,543 | 2008 | — |
| 4 | Doha East | Gas | 1,158 | — | — |
| 5 | Az Zour North | Gas | 1,100 | — | — |
| 6 | Shuiba North | Gas | 875 | — | — |
| 7 | Shuiba SPSS | Gas | 720 | — | — |
| 8 | Shuwaikh | Gas | 252 | 2007 | — |
| 9 | Umm Gudair | Solar | 10 | — | — |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 9 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Kuwait
7 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 21 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 4.6 GW under construction or planned.
How does Kuwait compare?
Kuwait 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 635 | 18,402 | 92.5 | — | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 692 | 13,386 | 455 | Compare | |
| Iraq | 1.6% | 1.6% | 98.4% | 683 | 3,252 | 150 | Compare | |
| Bahrain | 0.3% | 0.3% | 99.7% | 902 | 23,615 | 38 | Compare | |
| Qatar | 4.1% | 4.1% | 95.9% | 582 | 18,030 | 56.2 | Compare | |
| Iran | 3.8% | 5.7% | 94.3% | 660 | 4,283 | 396 | Compare | |
| Syria | 3.5% | 3.5% | 96.5% | 706 | 1,008 | 24.9 | Compare | |
| Asia average | 27.3% | 32.1% | 67.9% | 573 | 3,749 | 18,015 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Kuwait
Kuwait energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Kuwait is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Kuwait?
How clean is the electricity in Kuwait?
Does Kuwait have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Kuwait use per person?
How much solar power does Kuwait produce?
More countries in Asia
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 2025. 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.