Gordola — Switzerland
Hydro power plant in Ticino, Switzerland. Approximate location 46.1942, 8.8491.
HydroTicinoSwitzerlandconventional storage
Gordola is a 132.5 MW hydro power station in Ticino, Switzerland. It is operated by Canton of Ticino [33%]; City of Lugano [66%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 133k homes (estimated). It ranks #24 of 174 Switzerland power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1965, it is around 61 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 52.3% of Switzerland's electricity; the national grid averages 39 gCO₂/kWh (97.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1004204.
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 · L100000603488; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 132.5 MW, Gordola is well above the median hydro plant in Switzerland (18.2 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 Switzerland hydro capacity
- 1.4% of 9,694 MW across 162 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 103 of 149 dated hydro plants in Switzerland 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 Switzerland
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Canton of Ticino [33%]; City of Lugano [66%].
Climate zone & how it works
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 46.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), 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 #17 largest hydro power plant of 162 in Switzerland by capacity.
Switzerland has 162 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 9,694 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Tenero-Centrale di dotazione · Hydro · 4.2 MW · Ticino
- Ponte Brolla · Hydro · 3.1 MW · Ticino
- Verbano 1 · Hydro · 119 MW · Ticino
- Giumaglio · Hydro · 8.9 MW · Ticino
- RONCOVALGRANDE · Hydro · 1,000 MW · Lombardy
- Biasca · Hydro · 324 MW · Ticino
Location
Coordinates 46.1942, 8.8491 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Gordola?
Gordola is a 132.5 MW hydro power plant in Ticino, Switzerland, commissioned in 1965.
Who operates Gordola?
Gordola is operated by Canton of Ticino [33%]; City of Lugano [66%].