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Bui

Hydro power plant in Brong-Ahafo, Ghana. Approximate location 8.1822, -2.1661.

HydroBrong-AhafoGhanaconventional storage

Bui is a 400 MW hydro power station in Brong-Ahafo, Ghana. It is operated by Bui Power Authority (BPA) [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 730 GWh, it can supply roughly 209k homes. It ranks #7 of 15 Ghana power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 35.4% of Ghana's electricity; the national grid averages 469 gCO₂/kWh (36.2% low-carbon) (2024).

400Source-backed capacity
730GWh reported / yr
208,571homes powered
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000012.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBui WRI
CountryGhana · Brong-Ahafo WRI
Coordinates8.1822, -2.1661 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity400 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerBui Power Authority (BPA) [100%] WRI
Commissioned2013 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI
GWh reported / yr730 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#7 of 15 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 3 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent208,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate27.7°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 36/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

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.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Ghana

Aksombo: 1,020 MW1kAksomboBui: 400 MW400BuiKpong: 160 MW160Kpong

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Bui Power Authority (BPA) [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

27.7°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,551cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
133 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 28 °CJF: 30 °CFM: 30 °CMA: 29 °CAM: 28 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 26 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 27 °CON: 28 °CND: 28 °CD30 °C

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
36/100environmental-severity index
4.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
341 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 3 in Ghana by capacity.

Ghana has 3 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,580 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 8.1822, -2.1661 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Bui?

Bui is a 400 MW source-record hydro power plant in Brong-Ahafo, Ghana, commissioned in 2013.

How much electricity does Bui generate?

Bui generates about 730 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Bui power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 208,571 homes.

Who operates Bui?

Bui is operated by Bui Power Authority (BPA) [100%].

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