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Mchuchuma power station

Coal power plant in Tanzania, Tanzania. Approximate location -9.25, 34.25.

CoalTanzaniaTanzania

Mchuchuma power station is a 600 MW coal power station in Tanzania, Tanzania. It is operated by Tanzania China International Mineral Resources Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 751k homes (estimated). It ranks #3 of 29 Tanzania power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2026, it is around 0 years old — recently built. In context, coal supplies about 0.0% of Tanzania's electricity; the national grid averages 345 gCO₂/kWh (32.9% low-carbon) (2024).

600MW installed capacity
750,857homes powered (est.)
2026commissioned (~0 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityMchuchuma power station GEM-coal
CountryTanzania · Tanzania GEM-coal
Coordinates-9.25, 34.25 GEM-coal
FuelCoal GEM-coal
MW installed capacity600 MW GEM GCPT; source record
OwnerTanzania China International Mineral Resources Ltd [100%] GEM-coal
Commissioned2026 GEM-coal

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,628,000 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#3 / 29 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 / 9 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.22× · 270 MW · n=9 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent750,857 calculated
Environmental severityC3 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 600 MW, Mchuchuma power station is well above the median coal plant in Tanzania (270 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Tanzania

Kiwira Mine-2 power station: 600 MW600Kiwira Min…Mchuchuma power station: 600 MW600Mchuchuma …Dar es Salaam power station: 400 MW400Dar es Sal…Mbeya Power Project: 300 MW300Mbeya Powe…Ngaka power station: 270 MW270Ngaka powe…Magamba power station: 200 MW200Magamba po…Maturi power station: 200 MW200Maturi pow…Rukwa Coal to Power Project: 120 MW120Rukwa Coal…

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

Owner

Operated by Tanzania China International Mineral Resources Ltd [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 9.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~15°Ctypical annual mean
~20°Ctypical warm-season mean
Subtropical highland: hot and humid year-round with little seasonal variation

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

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)
33/100environmental-severity index
5.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
560 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 #2 largest coal power plant of 9 in Tanzania by capacity.

Tanzania has 9 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 2,765 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -9.25, 34.25 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Mchuchuma power station?

Mchuchuma power station is a 600 MW coal power plant in Tanzania, Tanzania, commissioned in 2026.

How many homes can Mchuchuma power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 750,857 homes (estimated).

Who operates Mchuchuma power station?

Mchuchuma power station is operated by Tanzania China International Mineral Resources Ltd [100%].

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