Al wahda is a 240 MW hydro power station in Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco. It is operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 240k homes (estimated). It ranks #16 of 52 Morocco power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1998, it is around 28 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 2.0% of Morocco's electricity; the national grid averages 596 gCO₂/kWh (24.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023672.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000602502; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 240 MW, Al wahda is well above the median hydro plant in Morocco (40.6 MW). Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Morocco hydro capacity
- 14.3% of 1,678 MW across 18 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 13 of 17 dated hydro plants in Morocco are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Morocco
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE). All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 67% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 24/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #2 largest hydro power plant of 18 in Morocco by capacity.
Morocco has 18 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,678 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Al Wahda Thermal Power station · Gas · 800 MW · Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen
- IDRISS 1er · Hydro · 40.6 MW · Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
- Oued El Makhazine · Hydro · 36 MW · Tanger-Tetouan
- Allal Al Fassi · Hydro · 240 MW · Fes-Boulemane
- EL KANSERA · Hydro · 8.3 MW · Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen
- Dhar Doum CCGT power station · Gas · 1,600 MW · Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima
Location
Coordinates 34.5983, -5.199 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Al wahda?
Al wahda is a 240 MW hydro power plant in Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco, commissioned in 1998.
Who operates Al wahda?
Al wahda is operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE).