Qingtongxia — China

Qingtongxia is a 272 MW hydro power station in Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu, China. It is operated by State Power Investment Group Upper Yellow River Hydropower Development Co Ltd [1. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 272k homes (estimated). It ranks #1941 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1978, it is around 48 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 13.2% of China's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000556.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000601094; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 272 MW, Qingtongxia is well above the median hydro plant in China (24 MW). Technically it is described as run-of-river. 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 China hydro capacity

0.1% of 262,337 MW across 947 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

25 of 381 dated hydro plants in China 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 China

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

Owner

Operated by State Power Investment Group Upper Yellow River Hydropower Development Co Ltd [1.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 47% above 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: 78/100 — this site sits in the top 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #150 largest hydro power plant of 947 in China by capacity.

China has 947 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 262,337 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Ningxia Jinyuyuan Chemical power station · Coal · 100 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
• Qingtongxia Aluminum Works power station · Coal · 660 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
• Guodian Ningxia Qingtongxia Niushoushan Phase 2 · Wind · 49 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
• Daba power station · Coal · 3,840 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
• Shenery Wuzhong power station · Coal · 700 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
• Guodian Ningxia Qingtongxia Niushoushan Phase 1 · Wind · 49 MW · Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu

Location

Coordinates 37.88, 105.99 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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