Biomass power plant in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Approximate location -33.315, 26.4908.
BiomassEastern CapeSouth Africa
Grahamstown is a 4 MW biomass power plant in Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is operated by Nollen Group. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 4,818 homes (estimated). It ranks #119 of 122 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. In context, biomass supplies about 0.2% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1026028.
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Operated by Nollen Group.
This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 33.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 83% 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: 19/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.
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.
The #14 largest biomass power plant of 14 in South Africa by capacity.
South Africa has 14 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 350 MW of capacity.
Coordinates -33.315, 26.4908 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
