Darbandikhan Dam is a 240 MW hydro power station in As Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. It is operated by Iraq Ministry of Water Resources. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 240k homes (estimated). It ranks #68 of 91 Iraq power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1961, it is around 65 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 1.3% of Iraq's electricity; the national grid averages 683 gCO₂/kWh (1.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1008717.
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 · L100000602180; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 240 MW, Darbandikhan Dam is around the median hydro plant in Iraq (240 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 Iraq hydro capacity
- 9.4% of 2,566 MW across 8 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 1 of 8 dated hydro plants in Iraq is 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 Iraq
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Iraq Ministry of Water Resources.
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 35.1°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 46% 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: 31/100 — 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 thermal cycling 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 #4 largest hydro power plant of 8 in Iraq by capacity.
Iraq has 8 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,566 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Tasluja power station · Oil · 51 MW · Kurdistan
- Bazian power plant 2 · Gas · 799 MW · Kurdistan
- Bazian power station · Gas · 750 MW · Kurdistan
- Sulaymaniyah power station · Gas · 1,500 MW · Kurdistan
- Sanandaj · Gas · 956 MW · Kordestan
- Adhaim Dam · Hydro · 27 MW · Salah ad Din Governorate
Location
Coordinates 35.1129, 45.7053 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Darbandikhan Dam?
Darbandikhan Dam is a 240 MW hydro power plant in As Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, commissioned in 1961.
Who operates Darbandikhan Dam?
Darbandikhan Dam is operated by Iraq Ministry of Water Resources.