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Esna

Hydro power plant in Qina, Egypt. Approximate location 25.3177, 32.5544.

HydroQinaEgyptconventional storage

Esna is a 86 MW hydro power plant in Qina, Egypt. It is operated by Egyptian Electricity Holding Co [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 535 GWh, it can supply roughly 153k homes. It ranks #61 of 89 Egypt power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1993, it is around 33 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 6.1% of Egypt's electricity; the national grid averages 563 gCO₂/kWh (13.0% low-carbon) (2025).

86Source-backed capacity
535GWh reported / yr
152,857homes powered
1993commissioned (~33 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000108.

Data status

Known data

FacilityEsna WRI
CountryEgypt · Qina WRI
Coordinates25.3177, 32.5544 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity86 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEgyptian Electricity Holding Co [100%] WRI
Commissioned1993 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI
GWh reported / yr535 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#61 of 89 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#3 of 4 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent152,857 calculated from reported generation
Climate25.1°C · HDD 185 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 45/100 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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000601564); 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 Egypt

High Dam: 2,100 MW2kHigh DamAswan Dam II: 550 MW550Aswan Dam …Esna: 86 MW86EsnaNaga Hamadi: 64 MW64Naga Hamadi

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

Owner

Operated by Egyptian Electricity Holding Co [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 25.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

25.1°Cannual mean temp
185heating degree-days (base 18°C)
2,790cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
102 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 15 °CJF: 17 °CFM: 21 °CMA: 26 °CAM: 30 °CMJ: 32 °CJJ: 33 °CJA: 32 °CAS: 30 °CSO: 27 °CON: 21 °CND: 16 °CD33 °C

Heating degree-days here run 92% 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: 16/100 — 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

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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
45/100environmental-severity index
18.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
199 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 #3 largest hydro power plant of 4 in Egypt by capacity.

Egypt has 4 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,800 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 25.3177, 32.5544 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Esna?

Esna is a 86 MW source-record hydro power plant in Qina, Egypt, commissioned in 1993.

How much electricity does Esna generate?

Esna generates about 535 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Esna power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 152,857 homes.

Who operates Esna?

Esna is operated by Egyptian Electricity Holding Co [100%].

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