Narubale is a 180 MW hydro power station in Eastern Region, Uganda. It is operated by Uganda Electricity Generation Company LTD (UEGCL) [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 180k homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 16 Uganda power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1954, it is around 72 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 86.1% of Uganda's electricity; the national grid averages 59 gCO₂/kWh (97.1% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023209.
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 · L100000603680; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 180 MW, Narubale is around the median hydro plant in Uganda (180 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 Uganda hydro capacity
- 27.2% of 662 MW across 6 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 0 of 3 dated hydro plants in Uganda 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 Uganda
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Uganda Electricity Generation Company LTD (UEGCL) [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 0.4°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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #3 largest hydro power plant of 6 in Uganda by capacity.
Uganda has 6 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 662 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Kiira · Hydro · 200 MW · Eastern Region
- Kakira Sugar Works · Biomass · 12 MW · Eastern Region
- Bujagali Falls · Hydro · 250 MW · Central Region
- Lugogo Substation · Oil · 50 MW · Central Region
- Mutundwe power station · Oil · 50 MW · Mutundwe
- Buyende nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 2,000 MW · Buyende
Location
Coordinates 0.4432, 33.1852 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Narubale?
Narubale is a 180 MW hydro power plant in Eastern Region, Uganda, commissioned in 1954.
Who operates Narubale?
Narubale is operated by Uganda Electricity Generation Company LTD (UEGCL) [100%].