PAPANASAM — India

PAPANASAM is a 32 MW hydro power plant in Tamil Nadu, India. It is operated by Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corp Ltd [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 120 GWh, it can supply roughly 34k homes. It ranks #1283 of 2,225 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1946, it is around 80 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 8.6% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id IND0000324.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001054744; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 32 MW, PAPANASAM is below the median hydro plant in India (80 MW). Technically it is described as conventional 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

Load factor

43%, from 120 GWh of reported generation; the median for 173 hydro plants in India that report generation is 35%

Generation trend

118 GWh in 2014 and 120 GWh in 2018 (+2%)

Highest and lowest year

2018: 120 GWh; 2016: 66 GWh

Share of India hydro capacity

less than 0.1% of 45,527 MW across 233 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

3 of 233 dated hydro plants in India are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corp Ltd [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.7°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 #168 largest hydro power plant of 233 in India by capacity.

India has 233 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 45,527 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• SERVALAR · Hydro · 20 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Ambasamudram power station · Biomass · 50 MW · Tamil Nadu
• KODAYAR-I&II · Hydro · 100 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Wind power project by Riddhi Siddhi Gluco Biols Limited (RSGBL) · Wind · 34.6 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Prathyusha Powergen Biomass power station · Biomass · 10 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Ettankulam · Solar · 20 MW · Tamil Nadu

Location

Coordinates 8.7065, 77.3627 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions