Global robotics electricity consumption could reach 363 TWh annually by 2035, approaching the amount of electricity generated by France’s nuclear fleet, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie.
The report, Embodied AI: How Robotics Are Accelerating Global Power Demand, estimates that industrial robots will account for around 357 TWh of annual consumption by 2035, while humanoid robots could add another 6 TWh. The growth represents an emerging source of electricity demand alongside the rapidly expanding requirements of AI data centres.
Around five million industrial robots are currently in operation worldwide, consuming an estimated 78 TWh annually. Wood Mackenzie expects the fleet to increase to 16 million units by 2035 if the current annual growth rate of approximately 12% continues.
China dominates the sector, accounting for more than 70% of annual global industrial robot installations and nearly 90% of humanoid robots deployed in 2025. China State Grid alone plans to spend US$1 billion in 2026 on 8,500 AI-enabled autonomous robots for more than 600 specialised applications, including grid maintenance and work on ultra-high-voltage power lines.
“Power constraints are becoming a real brake on robotic adoption, and that matters because labour markets in developed economies are running short of alternatives,” said Robert Liew, Director, Integrated Energy Research at Wood Mackenzie. “Industrial robots already draw 78 TWh a year globally, and that is before humanoid robots reach any real scale. By 2035, combined demand could hit 363 TWh.”
Humanoid robotics is expected to expand particularly rapidly. Wood Mackenzie forecasts the global stock to exceed 10 million units by 2035, with annual shipments surpassing four million. At the same time, average humanoid robot prices fell 93% between 2020 and 2025 to approximately US$58,000.
If the global humanoid robot fleet eventually reaches one billion units by 2050, Wood Mackenzie estimates that its electricity requirements alone could equal South Korea’s entire 2026 electricity generation.
The research highlights robotics as an increasingly important consideration for future energy infrastructure planning, particularly as utilities and governments simultaneously prepare for rising electricity requirements from AI, data centres, industrial electrification and other emerging technologies.
