Kanudi — Papua New Guinea
Oil power plant in National Capital, Papua New Guinea. Approximate location -9.4318, 147.1428.
OilNational CapitalPapua New GuineaOCGT
Kanudi is a 58 MW oil power plant in National Capital, Papua New Guinea. It is operated by PNG Power Limited. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 44k homes (estimated). It ranks #3 of 15 Papua New Guinea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1999, it is around 27 years old — long-established. In context, oil supplies about 57.1% of Papua New Guinea's electricity; the national grid averages 514 gCO₂/kWh (23.7% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022418.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 58 MW for Kanudi power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408989; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 58 MW, Kanudi is well above the median oil plant in Papua New Guinea (16 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Papua New Guinea oil capacity
- 33.4% of 174 MW across 7 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Papua New Guinea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by PNG Power Limited.
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 9.4°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #1 largest oil power plant of 7 in Papua New Guinea by capacity.
Papua New Guinea has 7 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 174 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Sirinumu Dam · Hydro · 1.5 MW · National Capital
- Tolkuma · Oil · 3.5 MW · Northern Province
Location
Coordinates -9.4318, 147.1428 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kanudi?
Kanudi is a 58 MW oil power plant in National Capital, Papua New Guinea, commissioned in 1999.
Who operates Kanudi?
Kanudi is operated by PNG Power Limited.