Electricity in Iran in 2024
In 2024, Iran's electricity consumption is primarily dominated by fossil sources, which account for more than nine-tenths of the total electricity generation. A significant portion of this comes from gas, representing about 80% of the fossil-fuel share. On the cleaner side of the energy spectrum, low-carbon sources comprise nearly 8% of Iran's electricity. Within this group, hydropower contributes around 6% and nuclear energy makes up approximately 2%. The heavy reliance on fossil fuels presents a challenge, as it often results in harmful emissions and environmental concerns, such as air pollution and climate change, making the increased use of low-carbon sources an important goal for the country's energy sustainability.
Is Electricity Growing in Iran?
Electricity consumption in Iran has seen a marginal growth, with the 2024 per capita consumption rising to 4,245 kWh, an increase of 20 kWh from the previous year's record. Though this indicates a small uptick in total electricity use, the same cannot be said for low-carbon electricity generation, which stands at 335 kWh per person, significantly lower than the 477 kWh record set in 2019. This drop of 142 kWh per person highlights a worrying trend and underscores the need for Iran to refocus its efforts on expanding its low-carbon electricity generation to not only meet the growing demand but also to mitigate environmental impacts.
Suggestions
To enhance low-carbon electricity generation, Iran can look to several successful regions for inspiration, particularly in the adoption of nuclear and solar energy. Countries like France and Slovakia have achieved considerable high shares of nuclear power in their mix, around 68% and 62% respectively, demonstrating the potential that nuclear energy can bring in terms of carbon-free electricity. Meanwhile, UAE's close proximity and its similar climatic conditions make its solar initiatives, achieving around 20% clean electricity generation, especially relevant for Iran's strategic planning. Concurrently, Iran could draw lessons from the successful wind energy deployment in states like Iowa and South Dakota, where wind power contributes to over half of their electricity generation. By investing in a diversified portfolio that includes nuclear and solar energy, Iran can significantly expand its low-carbon footprint.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in Iran reflects fluctuations, particularly in hydropower and nuclear generation. In the early 1990s and mid-2000s, hydropower saw periods of both gains and declines. More recently, substantial decreases have been observed, such as a 10.7 TWh dip in 2020 and a 9.4 TWh drop in 2021. Moreover, nuclear energy witnessed both growth in 2013 and 2016 but faced a temporary setback in 2021 with a 2.8 TWh decrease. However, the nuclear sector recovered in 2022 with a 3 TWh increase. The recent positive trends in nuclear energy can serve as a foundation for Iran to stabilize and expand its clean electricity production, focusing on reliable and continuously improving sources like nuclear and solar to counteract the volatility seen in its past hydropower ventures.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.