Yemen energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Yemen produced 5.3 TWh of electricity in 2024. Oil provides 87.6% of it. Few countries depend so heavily on a single source.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | 4.6 | 87.6% | +26.3 |
| Solar | 0.59 | 11.2% | +11.1 |
| Gas | 0.06 | 1.1% | −37.4 |
| Total | 5.25 | 100% |
Yemen: electricity in context
Power plants in Yemen produced 5.3 TWh of electricity in 2024. That puts it in the same league as Lebanon. Oil provides 87.6% of it. Few countries depend so heavily on a single source.
11.2% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 128th of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). That is 23 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 592 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, Yemen is 123rd of 158.
The decade’s big winner is solar power, up 580 GWh between 2014 and 2024 (plus 11.1 percentage points of the mix). In share terms the biggest gainer was oil (up 26.3 percentage points). The biggest decline came from natural gas (−2.9 TWh). The net effect: renewables gained 11.1 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation shrank by 2.4 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 723 to 592 g/kWh, a 18% cut.
Coal has essentially never been burned for electricity here: its share has stayed below 1% throughout the record.
Solar (11.2%) and wind (0%) now add up to 11.2% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2015.
Generation per person is 129 kWh a year, 3% of the world average of 3,860 kWh. Yemen 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
Yemen against the world and Asia averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Per person, that is 876 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Yemen
The 7 power plants recorded in Yemen add up to 1 GW of capacity, 62% of it Oil. The largest is Marib at 400 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 | Marib | Gas | 400 | 2009 | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 2 | Al Mukha | Oil | 160 | 1985 | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 3 | Ras Kanatib | Oil | 150 | 1981 | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 4 | Al Mansoura | Oil | 139 | — | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 5 | Al Hiswa | Oil | 125 | 1986 | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 6 | Dhaban | Oil | 41 | 1980 | Public Electricity Corporation |
| 7 | Khormaksar | Oil | 30 | 1974 | Public Electricity Corporation |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 7 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Yemen
27 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 270 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 55 MW under construction or planned.
How does Yemen compare?
Yemen 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yemen | 11.2% | 11.2% | 88.8% | 592 | 129 | 5.3 | — | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 692 | 13,386 | 455 | Compare | |
| Oman | 4.5% | 4.5% | 95.5% | 544 | 9,617 | 52.8 | Compare | |
| Somalia | 20.9% | 20.9% | 79.1% | 512 | 23 | 0.4 | Compare | |
| Eritrea | 11.1% | 11.1% | 88.9% | 578 | 127 | 0.5 | Compare | |
| United Arab Emirates | 8.8% | 31.7% | 68.3% | 468 | 16,075 | 177 | Compare | |
| Qatar | 4.1% | 4.1% | 95.9% | 582 | 18,030 | 56.2 | 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 Yemen
Yemen energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Yemen is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Yemen?
How clean is the electricity in Yemen?
Does Yemen have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Yemen use per person?
How much solar power does Yemen 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 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.