River Changja — North Korea
Hydro power plant in Hwanghae-namdo, North Korea. Approximate location 38.2021, 125.7837.
HydroHwanghae-namdoNorth Korea
River Changja is a 81 MW hydro power plant in Hwanghae-namdo, North Korea. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 81k homes (estimated). It ranks #28 of 36 North Korea power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 62.7% of North Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 341 gCO₂/kWh (63.4% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1019850.
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 81 MW, River Changja is below the median hydro plant in North Korea (225 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 North Korea hydro capacity
- 2.1% of 3,807 MW across 15 plants in this dataset
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 North Korea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.2°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 28% 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: 66/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #11 largest hydro power plant of 15 in North Korea by capacity.
North Korea has 15 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 3,807 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Haeju Cement · Coal · 200 MW · Hwanghae-namdo
- Sariwon · Coal · 200 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
- Unbong · Hydro · 400 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
- December (Nampo) power station · Coal · 200 MW · P'yongan-namdo
- December 12th Power plant · Coal · 100 MW · P'yongan-namdo
- East Pyongyang power station · Coal · 500 MW · Pyongyang
Location
Coordinates 38.2021, 125.7837 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is River Changja?
River Changja is a 81 MW hydro power plant in Hwanghae-namdo, North Korea.