Nam Nga is a 14.5 MW hydro power plant in Louangphabang, Laos. It is operated by Electricite de Laos (EDL). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 15k homes (estimated). It ranks #22 of 26 Laos power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 76.5% of Laos's electricity; the national grid averages 232 gCO₂/kWh (76.7% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1026798.
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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 14.5 MW, Nam Nga is below the median hydro plant in Laos (44 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
- Share of Laos hydro capacity
- 0.5% of 3,109 MW across 19 plants in this dataset
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 Laos
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Electricite de Laos (EDL).
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 20.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
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 #15 largest hydro power plant of 19 in Laos by capacity.
Laos has 19 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 3,109 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Hongsa · Coal · 1,878 MW · Nan
- Nam Samoy · Hydro · 5 MW · Vientiane
- Nam Sana · Hydro · 14 MW · Vientiane
- Nam Ngum 2 · Hydro · 735 MW · Vientiane
- Nam Long · Hydro · 5 MW · Loungnamtha
- Nam Lik 1-2 · Hydro · 100 MW · Vientiane
Location
Coordinates 20.1828, 101.9338 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Nam Nga?
Nam Nga is a 14.5 MW hydro power plant in Louangphabang, Laos.
Who operates Nam Nga?
Nam Nga is operated by Electricite de Laos (EDL).