Tenom Pangi — Malaysia

Tenom Pangi is a 72.56 MW hydro power plant in Sabah, Malaysia. It is operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 73k homes (estimated). It ranks #61 of 82 Malaysia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1984, it is around 42 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 17.5% of Malaysia's electricity; the national grid averages 602 gCO₂/kWh (20.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000273.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 75 MW for Tenom Pangi 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: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 72.56 MW, Tenom Pangi is below the median hydro plant in Malaysia (120 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

Share of Malaysia hydro capacity

3.6% of 2,040 MW across 9 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

2 of 9 dated hydro plants in Malaysia 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 Malaysia

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

Owner

Operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 5.1°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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #7 largest hydro power plant of 9 in Malaysia by capacity.

Malaysia has 9 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,040 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Kimanis power station · Gas · 385.2 MW · Sabah
• Kimanis SPR power station · Gas · 100 MW · Sabah
• Labuan power station · Gas · 120.4 MW · Labuan Federal Territory
• Patau-Patau power station · Gas · 112 MW · Sabah
• Pulau Muara Besar power station · Coal · 220 MW · Brunei
• Melawa (SESB) · Oil · 44 MW · Sabah

Location

Coordinates 5.1333, 115.95 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions