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Tedzani Falls

Hydro power plant in Southern Region, Malawi. Approximate location -15.5598, 34.7765.

HydroSouthern RegionMalawiconventional storage

Tedzani Falls is a 121 MW hydro power station in Southern Region, Malawi. It is operated by Electricity Generation Co (Malawi) Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 121k homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 10 Malawi power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1972, it is around 54 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 92.3% of Malawi's electricity; the national grid averages 55 gCO₂/kWh (95.6% low-carbon) (2024).

121MW installed capacity
121,138homes powered (est.)
1972commissioned (~54 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023105.

Data status

Known data

FacilityTedzani Falls WRI
CountryMalawi · Southern Region WRI
Coordinates-15.5598, 34.7765 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity121 MW GEM · 2026 · L100000602432; operating plant capacity
OwnerElectricity Generation Co (Malawi) Ltd [100%] WRI
Commissioned1972 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#7 / 10 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#3 / 3 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent121,138 calculated
Climate23.4°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 34/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 121 MW for Tedzani Falls 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

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000602432; 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.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Malawi

Kapichira: 130 MW130KapichiraNkula: 124 MW124NkulaTedzani Falls: 121 MW121Tedzani Fa…

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

Owner

Operated by Electricity Generation Co (Malawi) Ltd [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 15.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

23.4°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,968cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
582 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 25 °CJF: 25 °CFM: 24 °CMA: 24 °CAM: 22 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 19 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 26 °CON: 27 °CND: 26 °CD27 °C

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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
34/100environmental-severity index
7.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
358 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 #3 largest hydro power plant of 3 in Malawi by capacity.

Malawi has 3 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 375 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -15.5598, 34.7765 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Tedzani Falls?

Tedzani Falls is a 121 MW hydro power plant in Southern Region, Malawi, commissioned in 1972.

How many homes can Tedzani Falls power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 121,138 homes (estimated).

Who operates Tedzani Falls?

Tedzani Falls is operated by Electricity Generation Co (Malawi) Ltd [100%].

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