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GARGNANO

Hydro power plant in Lombardy, Italy. Approximate location 45.6891, 10.6609.

HydroLombardyItalypumped storage

GARGNANO is a 137 MW hydro power station in Lombardy, Italy. It is operated by Enel SpA [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 87 GWh, it can supply roughly 25k homes. It ranks #136 of 489 Italy power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 15.8% of Italy's electricity; the national grid averages 285 gCO₂/kWh (48.8% low-carbon) (2025).

137Source-backed capacity
87GWh reported / yr
24,885homes powered

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002888.

Data status

Known data

FacilityGARGNANO WRI
CountryItaly · Lombardy WRI
Coordinates45.6891, 10.6609 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity137 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEnel SpA [100%] WRI
Technologypumped storage WRI
GWh reported / yr87 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#136 of 489 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#27 of 58 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.04× · 132 MW median · 58 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent24,885 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.8°C · HDD 2,538 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 34/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot available not in dataset
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 L100000602207); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 137 MW, GARGNANO is around the median hydro plant in Italy (132 MW). Technically it is described as pumped 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.

Reported generation trend

2015: 70 GWh20152016: 108 GWh20162017: 87 GWh2017108 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Enel SpA [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 45.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.8°Cannual mean temp
2,538heating degree-days (base 18°C)
293cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
308 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 4 °CFM: 7 °CMA: 11 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 18 °CSO: 12 °CON: 6 °CND: 3 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 3% above 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: 51/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
34/100environmental-severity index
20.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
148 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 #27 largest hydro power plant of 58 in Italy by capacity.

Italy has 58 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 13,593 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 45.6891, 10.6609 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is GARGNANO?

GARGNANO is a 137 MW source-record hydro power plant in Lombardy, Italy.

How much electricity does GARGNANO generate?

GARGNANO generates about 87 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can GARGNANO power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 24,885 homes.

Who operates GARGNANO?

GARGNANO is operated by Enel SpA [100%].

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