Nyabarongo I is a 28 MW hydro power plant in Southern Province, Rwanda. It is operated by Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 28k homes (estimated). It ranks #4 of 12 Rwanda power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2014, it is around 12 years old — relatively modern. 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 WRI1061154.
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 28 MW, Nyabarongo I is around 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
- 22.0% of 127 MW across 6 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 5 of 6 dated hydro plants in Rwanda 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 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 2.0°S — 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 #3 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
- KivuWatt · Gas · 26 MW · Western Province
- Lake Kivu power plant · Gas · 56 MW · Lake Kivu
- Mukungwa · Hydro · 12 MW · Northern Province
- Mukungwa II · Hydro · 2.5 MW · Northern Province
- Jabana 1 · Oil · 7.8 MW · Kigali
- Jabana 2 · Oil · 20 MW · Kigali
Location
Coordinates -1.989, 29.633 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Nyabarongo I?
Nyabarongo I is a 28 MW hydro power plant in Southern Province, Rwanda, commissioned in 2014.
Who operates Nyabarongo I?
Nyabarongo I is operated by Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda.