Palmiet — South Africa

Palmiet is a 400 MW hydro power station in Western Cape, South Africa. It is operated by Eskom. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 400k homes (estimated). It ranks #47 of 152 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1988, it is around 38 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 0.8% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000132.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000603318; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 400 MW, Palmiet is well above the median hydro plant in South Africa (360 MW). Technically it is described as pumped storage. 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 South Africa hydro capacity

19.8% of 2,020 MW across 6 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

3 of 5 dated hydro plants in South Africa 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 South Africa

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

Owner

Operated by Eskom. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.2°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 61% 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: 26/100 — 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine 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 #2 largest hydro power plant of 6 in South Africa by capacity.

South Africa has 6 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,020 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Dassieklip · Wind · 27 MW · Western Cape
• Acacia · Gas · 171 MW · Western Cape
• Koeberg · Nuclear · 1,940 MW · Western Cape
• Ankerlig · Oil · 1,338.3 MW · Western Cape
• Swartland Solar Power Plant · Solar · 13.6 MW · Western Cape
• SlimSun Swartland Solar Park · Solar · 5 MW · Western Cape

Location

Coordinates -34.1972, 18.9736 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions