Northern Power is a 36 MW oil power plant in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is operated by Ceylon Electricity Board. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 27k homes (estimated). It ranks #29 of 55 Sri Lanka power plants by installed capacity. In context, oil supplies about 10.8% of Sri Lanka's electricity; the national grid averages 329 gCO₂/kWh (61.6% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1030444.
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: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 36 MW, Northern Power is below the median oil plant in Sri Lanka (105 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Sri Lanka oil capacity
- 2.8% of 1,307 MW across 10 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 oil plants in Sri Lanka
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Ceylon Electricity Board. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen As) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 9.7°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 #8 largest oil power plant of 10 in Sri Lanka by capacity.
Sri Lanka has 10 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 1,307 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Uthuru Janani · Oil · 24 MW · Northern Province
- Pollupalai · Wind · 12 MW · Northern Province
- Vallimunai · Wind · 12 MW · Northern Province
- Old Laxapana · Hydro · 50 MW · Northern Province
- Karapidagai North power station · Coal · 150 MW · Tamil Nadu
- KOVILKALAPPAL · Gas · 107 MW · Tamil Nadu
Location
Coordinates 9.7387, 80.0346 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Northern Power?
Northern Power is a 36 MW oil power plant in Northern Province, Sri Lanka.
Who operates Northern Power?
Northern Power is operated by Ceylon Electricity Board.