TEESTA LOW DAM-III — India

TEESTA LOW DAM-III is a 132 MW hydro power station in West Bengal, India. It is operated by NHPC Ltd [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 569 GWh, it can supply roughly 163k homes. It ranks #786 of 2,225 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 8.6% 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 IND0000448.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000602061; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 132 MW, TEESTA LOW DAM-III is well above the median hydro plant in India (80 MW). Technically it is described as run-of-river. 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

Load factor

49%, from 569 GWh of reported generation; the median for 173 hydro plants in India that report generation is 35%

Generation trend

392 GWh in 2014 and 569 GWh in 2018 (+45%)

Highest and lowest year

2018: 569 GWh; 2017: 385 GWh

Share of India hydro capacity

0.3% of 45,527 MW across 233 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

211 of 233 dated hydro 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).

Owner

Operated by NHPC Ltd [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 27.0°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 98% 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: 14/100 — 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 #81 largest hydro power plant of 233 in India by capacity.

India has 233 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 45,527 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• TEESTA LOW DAM -IV · Hydro · 160 MW · West Bengal
• JORETHANG LOOP · Hydro · 96 MW · Sikkim
• TEESTA -V · Hydro · 510 MW · Sikkim
• U.ROGNICHU · Hydro · 8 MW · Sikkim
• CHUZACHEN · Hydro · 110 MW · Sikkim
• RAMMAM · Hydro · 50 MW · Sikkim

Location

Coordinates 27.0017, 88.443 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions