Ruacana — Namibia

Ruacana is a 332 MW hydro power station in Kunene, Namibia. It is operated by NamPower [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 332k homes (estimated). It ranks #2 of 16 Namibia 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 61.0% of Namibia's electricity; the national grid averages 49 gCO₂/kWh (97.6% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023133.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 332 MW for Ruacana hydroelectric plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000604094; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

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.

Owner

Operated by NamPower [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 17.4°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 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.

Location

Coordinates -17.3861, 14.2137 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions