Zambia Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend
Zambia generated 2.13 TWh of electricity from coal in 2024, 10.8% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 51st largest coal power producer in 2024 of the 85 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Coal supplied 34.2% of the world's electricity in 2024. These are annual statistics for 2024; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- Zambia generated 2.13 TWh of electricity from coal in 2024.
- Coal supplied 10.8% of Zambia's electricity in 2024.
- Zambia was the 51st largest coal power producer in 2024 among the 85 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- Zambia's coal generation in 2024 was 28% higher than in 2019, when it was 1.67 TWh.
- Zambia's coal generation in 2024 was 2.13 TWh, up from none in 2014.
- Zambia's coal generation peaked at 2.16 TWh in 2022.
- Zambia's coal share in 2024 was below the world share of 34.2%.
- Zambia had 330 MW of coal generating capacity in 2024.
- Coal power in Zambia emitted 1.83 MtCO2 in 2024, 74% of the power sector's emissions.
Key Figures, 2024
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Coal generation | 2.13 TWh | 2024 · Ember |
| Share of Zambia's electricity | 10.8% | 2024 · Ember |
| World share of coal | 34.2% | 2024 · Ember |
| Rank by coal generation (each country's latest year) | 51 of 85 | 2024 · Ember |
| Coal capacity | 330 MW | 2024 · Ember |
| Coal power emissions | 1.83 MtCO2 | 2024 · Ember |
Coal Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2024Annual statistics through 2024, GWh
| Year | Coal |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2001 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2002 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2003 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2004 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2005 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2006 | 0 TWh |
| 2007 | 0 TWh |
| 2008 | 0 TWh |
| 2009 | 0 TWh |
| 2010 | 0 TWh |
| 2011 | 0 TWh |
| 2012 | 0 TWh |
| 2013 | 0 TWh |
| 2014 | 0 TWh |
| 2015 | 0 TWh |
| 2016 | 330 GWh |
| 2017 | 1.28 TWh |
| 2018 | 2.04 TWh |
| 2019 | 1.67 TWh |
| 2020 | 1.89 TWh |
| 2021 | 1.30 TWh |
| 2022 | 2.16 TWh |
| 2023 | 2.13 TWh |
| 2024 | 2.13 TWh |
Annual statistics through 2024, % of generation
| Year | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.1% | 38.0% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | 38.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | 38.3% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | 39.5% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | 39.0% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | 39.5% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 40.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | 40.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 40.2% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 39.9% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 39.8% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | 40.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | 39.9% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | 40.8% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | 40.5% |
| 2015 | 0.0% | 38.7% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | 37.8% |
| 2017 | 8.8% | 38.0% |
| 2018 | 12.5% | 38.0% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | 36.7% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | 35.4% |
| 2021 | 7.3% | 36.0% |
| 2022 | 11.1% | 35.6% |
| 2023 | 11.0% | 35.2% |
| 2024 | 10.8% | 34.2% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity | Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.13 TWh | 10.8% | 34.2% | 330 MW | 1.83 MtCO2 |
| 2023 | 2.13 TWh | 11.0% | 35.2% | 330 MW | 1.83 MtCO2 |
| 2022 | 2.16 TWh | 11.1% | 35.6% | 330 MW | 1.85 MtCO2 |
| 2021 | 1.30 TWh | 7.3% | 36.0% | 330 MW | 1.12 MtCO2 |
| 2020 | 1.89 TWh | 12.4% | 35.4% | 330 MW | 1.62 MtCO2 |
| 2019 | 1.67 TWh | 11.3% | 36.7% | 330 MW | 1.43 MtCO2 |
| 2018 | 2.04 TWh | 12.5% | 38.0% | 330 MW | 1.75 MtCO2 |
| 2017 | 1.28 TWh | 8.8% | 38.0% | 330 MW | 1.10 MtCO2 |
| 2016 | 330 GWh | 2.8% | 37.8% | 330 MW | 0.28 MtCO2 |
| 2015 | 0 TWh | 0.0% | 38.7% | 30 MW | 0 MtCO2 |
Full year by year history for Zambia
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2024. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.