Ntaruka is a 11.25 MW hydro power plant in Northern Province, Rwanda. It is operated by Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 11k homes (estimated). It ranks #8 of 12 Rwanda power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1959, it is around 67 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 46.0% of Rwanda's electricity; the national grid averages 354 gCO₂/kWh (49.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023153.
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 11.25 MW, Ntaruka is below the median hydro plant in Rwanda (28 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 Rwanda hydro capacity
- 8.8% of 127 MW across 6 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 1 of 6 dated hydro plants in Rwanda is 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 Rwanda
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda.
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 1.5°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 95% 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 #5 largest hydro power plant of 6 in Rwanda by capacity.
Rwanda has 6 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 127 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Mukungwa · Hydro · 12 MW · Northern Province
- Mukungwa II · Hydro · 2.5 MW · Northern Province
- Rutshuru · Hydro · 13.8 MW · Western Region
- Jabana 2 · Oil · 20 MW · Kigali
- Jabana 1 · Oil · 7.8 MW · Kigali
- Nyabarongo I · Hydro · 28 MW · Southern Province
Location
Coordinates -1.477, 29.75 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Ntaruka?
Ntaruka is a 11.25 MW hydro power plant in Northern Province, Rwanda, commissioned in 1959.
Who operates Ntaruka?
Ntaruka is operated by Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda.