Nam La — Vietnam

Nam La is a 32 MW hydro power plant in Son La, Vietnam. It is operated by Noth West VIWASWEEN Hydro Power JSC.. Based on reported annual generation of 128 GWh, it can supply roughly 36k homes. It ranks #180 of 298 Vietnam power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 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).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1030892.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001054979; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 32 MW, Nam La is well above 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.

Key facts

Load factor

45%, from 128 GWh of reported generation, in line with the 46% median for 152 hydro plants in Vietnam

Share of Vietnam hydro capacity

0.2% of 17,313 MW across 174 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

77 of 162 dated hydro plants in Vietnam 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 Vietnam

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

Owner

Operated by Noth West VIWASWEEN Hydro Power JSC..

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 21.4°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 94% 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: 16/100 — 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 #69 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

• Pa Chien · Hydro · 22 MW · Son La
• Son La · Hydro · 2,400 MW · Son La
• Nam Chien 2 · Hydro · 32 MW · Son La
• Mai Sơn · Solar · 10 MW · Son La
• Nam Pia · Hydro · 15 MW · Son La
• Chieng Cong 1 · Hydro · 4 MW · Son La

Location

Coordinates 21.4049, 103.9836 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions