Kapchagan — Kazakhstan
Hydro power plant in Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. Approximate location 43.9226, 77.0978.
HydroAlmaty OblysyKazakhstanconventional storage
Kapchagan is a 364 MW hydro power station in Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. It is operated by Samruk-Energo JSC [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 364k homes (estimated). It ranks #37 of 80 Kazakhstan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1970, it is around 56 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 8.5% of Kazakhstan's electricity; the national grid averages 805 gCO₂/kWh (14.9% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000297.
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 · L100000602325; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
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 Kazakhstan hydro capacity
- 17.4% of 2,090 MW across 4 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 2 of 4 dated hydro plants in Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Samruk-Energo JSC [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.9°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 43% above 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: 76/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 4 in Kazakhstan by capacity.
Kazakhstan has 4 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,090 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Almaty-3 power station · Coal · 290 MW · Almaty Oblysy
- Almaty-1 power station · Gas · 345 MW · Almaty
- Almaty CHP-1 · Coal · 145 MW · Almaty Qalasy
- Almaty TPP-2 · Coal · 510 MW · Almaty Oblysy
- Almaty-2 power station · Gas · 1,068 MW · Almaty
Location
Coordinates 43.9226, 77.0978 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kapchagan?
Kapchagan is a 364 MW hydro power plant in Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan, commissioned in 1970.
Who operates Kapchagan?
Kapchagan is operated by Samruk-Energo JSC [100%].