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JALDHAKA I&II

Hydro power plant in Samchi, India. Approximate location 27.0297, 88.8747.

HydroSamchiIndiarun-of-river

JALDHAKA I&II is a 36 MW hydro power plant in Samchi, India. It is operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 196 GWh, it can supply roughly 56k homes. It ranks #1247 of 2,229 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1971, it is around 55 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 8.6% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).

36Source-backed capacity
196GWh reported / yr
56,028homes powered
1971commissioned (~55 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id IND0000156.

Data status

Known data

FacilityJALDHAKA I&II WRI
CountryIndia · Samchi WRI
Coordinates27.0297, 88.8747 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity36 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerWest Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) [100%] WRI
Commissioned1971 WRI
Technologyrun-of-river WRI
GWh reported / yr196 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#1247 of 2229 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#159 of 233 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.45× · 80 MW median · 233 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent56,028 calculated from reported generation
Climate24.3°C · HDD 8 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 34/100 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 L100001054735); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 36 MW, JALDHAKA I&II is below the median hydro plant in India (80 MW). Technically it is described as run-of-river. 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

2014: 109 GWh20142015: 172 GWh20152016: 204 GWh20162017: 144 GWh20172018: 196 GWh2018204 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 27.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

24.3°Cannual mean temp
8heating degree-days (base 18°C)
2,317cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
283 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 18 °CJF: 20 °CFM: 24 °CMA: 26 °CAM: 27 °CMJ: 28 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 27 °CSO: 26 °CON: 22 °CND: 20 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 100% 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: 13/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
34/100environmental-severity index
10.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
564 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 #159 largest hydro power plant of 233 in India by capacity.

India has 233 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 45,527 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 27.0297, 88.8747 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is JALDHAKA I&II?

JALDHAKA I&II is a 36 MW source-record hydro power plant in Samchi, India, commissioned in 1971.

How much electricity does JALDHAKA I&II generate?

JALDHAKA I&II generates about 196 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can JALDHAKA I&II power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 56,028 homes.

Who operates JALDHAKA I&II?

JALDHAKA I&II is operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) [100%].

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