The International Renewable Energy Agency’s North Korea profile lists 5,055 megawatts of renewable electricity capacity for 2024 and 15,970 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity generation for 2023. Its hydro and marine category accounts for most of both figures. The two numbers describe different things and refer to different years.
Capacity measures the maximum net power the equipment can produce under the relevant rating. Generation measures electrical energy produced over time. If you want to know how much electricity households actually receive, you need evidence about delivery and service in addition to national production.
- MW measures power. GWh measures energy.
- IRENA gives 8,455 MW of total capacity for 2024 in the cited profile.
- The same profile lists 25,205 GWh of total generation for 2023.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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What the capacity number tells you · Worked example: calculate a share from the right row · Frequently asked questions
Chapters 1–4 · Read the data
Chapters 5–8 · Work through a comparison
Chapter 1 of 8
What the capacity number tells you
Installed capacity describes the size of the equipment in power terms. IRENA’s notes describe renewable capacity as maximum net generating capacity, with end-of-year installation generally used for the reported figure. A plant’s rating is a useful way to compare equipment. Actual output depends on whether the plant is operating and the conditions under which it operates.
Imagine a small plant rated at 10 MW. During an hour at full rated output it would produce 10 MWh of electricity. If it operated at half that output over the hour, it would produce 5 MWh. The rated capacity in the example stays the same while generation changes.
Apply this to the profile. The 2024 figures give a snapshot of installed power capacity and its composition. They can support a comparison between renewable and non-renewable equipment in that table. They cannot establish how much energy was produced in a specific month.
IRENA — Renewable Energy Statistics 2025 definitions
Chapter 2 of 8
What the generation number tells you
Generation adds the energy produced over a period. IRENA’s profile records 15,970 GWh of renewable generation out of 25,205 GWh of total generation for 2023. That works out to about 63%. Use these figures together because they cover the same measure and year.
For a capacity comparison, use the capacity figures together. The renewable share of capacity is 5,055 MW divided by 8,455 MW, or about 60% in the cited 2024 table. These percentages have different denominators. One describes the share of annual electricity production. The other describes the share of installed generating capacity.
There is a third category that a reader may encounter. Total final energy consumption can cover fuels and heat as well as electricity. When you see a renewable share, read the table title to find out whether the denominator is electricity generation, capacity or a broader measure of energy use.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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Chapter 3 of 8
Why hydro output can vary
Hydroelectric generation uses water moving through turbines. Water availability, maintenance and operating choices can affect output. The power rating of the equipment can remain constant even when generation varies. A dated generation series is the appropriate source for tracking that variation.
The profile labels its largest renewable category hydro and marine. It reports 15,801 GWh for that category in 2023. Keep the published category label when quoting the figure. A claim about a particular dam or season would require more detailed records about that installation and period.
A classroom sketch can show the difference. Draw water passing through a turbine, then add a clock and a meter. The turbine represents equipment that has a power rating. The meter represents energy accumulated over a time interval. This gives a physical meaning to the two columns in the published table.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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Chapter 4 of 8
From a generating station to a household
Electricity produced at generating stations enters a delivery system. Transmission, distribution and local supply conditions affect what reaches users. Some power is also used by industry and public services. The national production total gives a starting point for energy analysis. It does not specify when a household had power.
Per-person generation is also a statistical average. It is useful for comparing output relative to population. It does not give the amount received by a typical household because allocation, imports and exports, network losses and other factors can intervene. Look for survey or service evidence to answer a delivery question.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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Chapter 5 of 8
Worked example: calculate a share from the right row
Take 15,970 GWh and divide it by 25,205 GWh. The common unit cancels and the answer is a share of reported generation. Now take 5,055 MW and divide by 8,455 MW. That gives a share of capacity. Put the year and the denominator in each caption.
Avoid dividing 2023 generation by 2024 installed capacity to claim a measured 2023 utilisation rate. A utilisation calculation needs generation and a compatible capacity basis for the same period. A single year-end figure can also be affected by additions made partway through a year.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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Chapter 6 of 8
Read the year and edition before combining rows
The country profile puts its 2024 capacity and 2023 generation tables on the same document. That layout makes both easy to find. Give each column its own date in your notes. An annual generation series may lag the capacity series because the figures are compiled and published on different schedules.
IRENA also publishes separate statistical editions. If you use a later capacity release, record the release year and the observation year. For a trend chart, take the values from one consistent edition and read the notes for any country or technology codes. The newer edition may revise earlier years as well as add a column.
The organisation describes drawing its data from several kinds of source. Its capacity report notes suffixes for official, unofficial and estimated figures where those markers appear. If you encounter a suffix, retain its meaning in your source note. It can explain how the figure was compiled without changing the unit or year.
IRENA — Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026
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Chapter 7 of 8
Use a full-year example to understand utilisation
Consider a plant rated at 10 MW for a full non-leap year. At that output every hour, it would generate 87,600 MWh, or 87.6 GWh. Suppose its recorded generation for that year is 35.04 GWh. Dividing by the full-output benchmark gives 40%. This hypothetical example shows how time enters a capacity-utilisation calculation.
The same arithmetic calls for care when applied to national figures. A plant added partway through the year contributes less time to the possible-output benchmark than one installed throughout the year. Availability and resource conditions can also differ among technologies. Use the publisher’s method when reporting a figure from its profile.
A short outage example makes the distinction clearer. A plant could have the same capacity before and after an outage and still have lower generation over the affected period. A household could also experience an outage when national generation remains steady. Each observation refers to a different stage in the electricity system.
IRENA — Renewable Energy Statistics 2025 definitions
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Chapter 8 of 8
Compare generation with another kind of observation
A nighttime image can show visible light reaching a sensor. The generation table measures electrical energy produced. If you want to study how output changes, use the generation series. If you want to study visible outdoor light, use comparable images or sensor measurements. A claim connecting the two needs additional evidence about how electricity was delivered and used.
For a short school assignment, make one chart for generation by technology and a separate note for any service or imagery evidence. In the chart, add a year, source and unit. In the note, name the location and time of the observation. This keeps the national aggregate from becoming an unsupported description of conditions in one city or household.
If the article gives capacity in gigawatts elsewhere, convert using 1 GW equal to 1,000 MW. Do the same for energy units before comparing totals. A chart that uses GW for equipment and GWh for production can keep both units visible by labelling them directly. This matters most when the numbers are rounded and the labels are small.
IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
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Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest renewable category in the cited profile?
Hydro and marine account for most of both the renewable generation and capacity shown.
Which unit measures annual generation?
The cited generation table uses GWh. It reports capacity in MW.
Does national generation show household reliability?
Reliability requires evidence about actual delivery and interruptions over time.
Sources and next reading
Sources
- IRENA — DPRK statistical profile
- IRENA — Renewable Energy Statistics 2025 definitions
- IRENA — Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026