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Neno power station

Coal power plant in Thyolo, Malawi. Approximate location -16.166667, 35.166667.

CoalThyoloMalawi

Neno power station is a 2,400 MW coal power station in Thyolo, Malawi. It is operated by Project DoXA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.0 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 10 Malawi power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 0.0% of Malawi's electricity; the national grid averages 55 gCO₂/kWh (95.6% low-carbon) (2024).

2,400MW installed capacity
3,003,428homes powered (est.)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityNeno power station GEM-coal
CountryMalawi · Thyolo GEM-coal
Coordinates-16.166667, 35.166667 GEM-coal
FuelCoal GEM-coal
MW installed capacity2,400 MW GEM GCPT; source record
OwnerProject DoXA [100%] GEM-coal

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions10,512,000 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#1 / 10 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1 / 5 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers6.86× · 350 MW · n=5 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent3,003,428 calculated
Environmental severityC3 · 31/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot available not in dataset
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 2,400 MW, Neno power station is well above the median coal plant in Malawi (350 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 Malawi

Neno power station: 2,400 MW2kNeno power…Kamwamba power station: 1,000 MW1kKamwamba p…Liwonde power station: 350 MW350Liwonde po…Rukuru power station: 250 MW250Rukuru pow…Pamodzi power station: 120 MW120Pamodzi po…

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

Owner

Operated by Project DoXA [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 tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 16.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~26°Ctypical annual mean
~29°Ctypical warm-season mean
Tropical savanna: warm all year, with distinct wet and dry seasons

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)
31/100environmental-severity index
6.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
324 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 #1 largest coal power plant of 5 in Malawi by capacity.

Malawi has 5 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 4,120 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -16.166667, 35.166667 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Neno power station?

Neno power station is a 2,400 MW coal power plant in Thyolo, Malawi.

How many homes can Neno power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 3,003,428 homes (estimated).

Who operates Neno power station?

Neno power station is operated by Project DoXA [100%].

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