Kajaki Hydroelectric Power Plant Afghanistan

Kajaki Hydroelectric Power Plant Afghanistan is a 33 MW hydro power plant in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It is operated by Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 33k homes (estimated). It ranks #12 of 17 Afghanistan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1975, it is around 51 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 75.8% of Afghanistan's electricity; the national grid averages 131 gCO₂/kWh (86.9% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0040538.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 33 MW, Kajaki Hydroelectric Power Plant Afghanistan is around the median hydro plant in Afghanistan (33 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 Afghanistan hydro capacity

13.8% of 239 MW across 6 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

2 of 3 dated hydro plants in Afghanistan 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 Afghanistan

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

Owner

Operated by Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 32.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 16% 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: 44/100 — 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

This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #3 largest hydro power plant of 6 in Afghanistan by capacity.

Afghanistan has 6 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 239 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Kandahar DOG · Solar · 10 MW · Kandahar
• Kandahar JOL · Solar · 10 MW · Kandahar

Location

Coordinates 32.322, 65.119 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions