KULHAL is a 30 MW hydro power plant in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is operated by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 146 GWh, it can supply roughly 42k homes. It ranks #1315 of 2,225 India 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 8.6% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id IND0000218.
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 · L100001054737; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 30 MW, KULHAL 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.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 55%, from 146 GWh of reported generation; the median for 173 hydro plants in India that report generation is 35%
- Generation trend
- 155 GWh in 2014 and 146 GWh in 2018 (−6%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2014: 155 GWh; 2016: 122 GWh
- Share of India hydro capacity
- less than 0.1% of 45,527 MW across 233 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 51 of 233 dated hydro plants in India are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a humid subtropical (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 30.4°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 85% 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.
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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #175 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 30.4289, 77.6296 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is KULHAL?
KULHAL is a 30 MW hydro power plant in Himachal Pradesh, India, commissioned in 1975.
How much electricity does KULHAL generate?
KULHAL generates about 146 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates KULHAL?
KULHAL is operated by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd [100%].