The table compares the proportions of electricity generated from four fuel types (nuclear, coal and lignite, petroleum, and hydro and wind) as well as other sources in five Asian countries in 2005.
Overall, the dominant source of electricity varied considerably among the countries. Coal and lignite accounted for the largest share in Malaysia, while nuclear power was the main source in Japan. By contrast, Thailand did not generate any electricity from nuclear energy and relied most heavily on other fuel sources.
In terms of nuclear power, Japan recorded the highest figure at 49%, followed by South Korea at 33%. Malaysia and Singapore generated 19% and 13% of their electricity from this source respectively, whereas Thailand did not use nuclear energy at all. Coal and lignite were particularly important in Malaysia, where they made up 61% of electricity generation. In contrast, the corresponding figures for South Korea and Japan were much lower, at 5% and 6%.
Regarding petroleum products, Thailand was by far the largest user, with 36% of its electricity coming from this fuel type. The proportion was considerably lower in the remaining countries, ranging from 2% in Malaysia to 3% in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. Hydro and wind energy played a major role in South Korea, accounting for 48% of electricity production, compared with only 3% in both Singapore and Japan. As for other energy sources, they represented the highest proportion in Thailand at 42%, while the figures for Singapore and Japan were identical at 39%. Malaysia and South Korea relied less on these sources, at 13% and 11% respectively.