Tarbela is a 3,478 MW hydro power station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is operated by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.5 million homes (estimated). It ranks #2 of 122 Pakistan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2018, it is around 8 years old — recently built. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 20.2% of Pakistan's electricity; the national grid averages 347 gCO₂/kWh (54.9% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1001657.
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
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000603056; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 3,478 MW, Tarbela is well above the median hydro plant in Pakistan (150 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
- Share of Pakistan hydro capacity
- 43.1% of 8,063 MW across 13 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 6 of 7 dated hydro plants in Pakistan 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 Pakistan
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.1°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 69% below 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: 24/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 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 #1 largest hydro power plant of 13 in Pakistan by capacity.
Pakistan has 13 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 8,063 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Ghazi Barotha · Hydro · 1,450 MW · Punjab
- Pakistan Parliament · Solar · 1 MW · Islamabad
- Attock Gen Limited power station (AGL) · Oil · 148.5 MW · Morgah
- Patrind · Hydro · 150 MW · Azad Kashmir
- Dargai · Hydro · 20 MW · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- URI -II · Hydro · 240 MW · Kashmir
Location
Coordinates 34.0889, 72.6861 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Tarbela?
Tarbela is a 3,478 MW hydro power plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, commissioned in 2018.
Who operates Tarbela?
Tarbela is operated by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).