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Na Loa

Hydro power plant in Cao Bang, Vietnam. Approximate location 22.6846, 106.599.

HydroCao BangVietnam

Na Loa is a 6 MW hydro power plant in Cao Bang, Vietnam. It is operated by Cao Bang Hydropower- Metallurgic Company. Based on reported annual generation of 30 GWh, it can supply roughly 8.6k homes. It ranks #265 of 298 Vietnam power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2006, it is around 20 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 33.0% of Vietnam's electricity; the national grid averages 461 gCO₂/kWh (45.4% low-carbon) (2025).

6Legacy source-record capacity
30GWh reported / yr
8,571homes powered
2006commissioned (~20 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1030935.

Data status

Known data

FacilityNa Loa WRI
CountryVietnam · Cao Bang WRI
Coordinates22.6846, 106.599 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity6 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCao Bang Hydropower- Metallurgic Company WRI
Commissioned2006 WRI
GWh reported / yr30 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#265 of 298 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#142 of 174 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.30× · 20 MW median · 174 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent8,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate21.5°C · HDD 330 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 36/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 6 MW, Na Loa is below the median hydro plant in Vietnam (20 MW). 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.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Vietnam

Hoa Binh: 2,400 MW2kHoa BinhSon La: 2,400 MW2kSon LaLai Chau: 1,200 MW1kLai ChauIaly: 720 MW720IalyHuoi Quang: 520 MW520Huoi QuangHam Thuan - Da Mi: 475 MW475Ham Thuan …Tri An: 400 MW400Tri AnSe San 4: 360 MW360Se San 4

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

Owner

Operated by Cao Bang Hydropower- Metallurgic Company.

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 22.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

21.5°Cannual mean temp
330heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,614cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
405 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 13 °CJF: 15 °CFM: 18 °CMA: 22 °CAM: 26 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 23 °CON: 19 °CND: 15 °CD27 °C

Heating degree-days here run 87% 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: 18/100 — 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

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)
36/100environmental-severity index
14.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
198 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 #142 largest hydro power plant of 174 in Vietnam by capacity.

Vietnam has 174 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 17,313 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 22.6846, 106.599 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Na Loa?

Na Loa is a 6 MW source-record hydro power plant in Cao Bang, Vietnam, commissioned in 2006.

How much electricity does Na Loa generate?

Na Loa generates about 30 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Na Loa power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 8,571 homes.

Who operates Na Loa?

Na Loa is operated by Cao Bang Hydropower- Metallurgic Company.

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