SAMALPATTI DG is a 105.7 MW oil power station in Tamil Nadu, India. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 79k homes (estimated). It ranks #835 of 2,225 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2001, it is around 25 years old — relatively modern. In context, oil supplies about 0.2% 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 IND0000389.
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 105.7 MW, SAMALPATTI DG is well above the median oil plant in India (81.5 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of India oil capacity
- 5.0% of 2,134 MW across 21 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 10 of 13 dated oil 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).
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 12.3°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 a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #8 largest oil power plant of 21 in India by capacity.
India has 21 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 2,134 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Dharani Sugar power station · Biomass · 15 MW · Tamil Nadu
- Chengam · Solar · 36 MW · Tamil Nadu
- Yelesandra Solar Power Plant · Solar · 3 MW · Karnataka
- Mettur Siscol power station · Coal · 60 MW · Tamil Nadu
- METTUR MALCO · Coal · 100 MW · Tamil Nadu
- METTUR DAM · Hydro · 250 MW · Tamil Nadu
Location
Coordinates 12.2995, 78.4038 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is SAMALPATTI DG?
SAMALPATTI DG is a 105.7 MW oil power plant in Tamil Nadu, India, commissioned in 2001.