Uiam — South Korea
Hydro power plant in Gangwon-do, South Korea. Approximate location 37.836, 127.6779.
HydroGangwon-doSouth Korea
Uiam is a 48 MW hydro power plant in Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea Hydro and Nuclear. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 48k homes (estimated). It ranks #150 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1967, it is around 59 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 0.6% of South Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 417 gCO₂/kWh (40.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000221.
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 · L100001023214; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 48 MW, Uiam is well above the median hydro plant in South Korea (35 MW). 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 South Korea hydro capacity
- 0.8% of 6,216 MW across 36 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 4 of 18 dated hydro plants in South Korea 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 South Korea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Korea Hydro and Nuclear. 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 monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.8°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 35% above 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: 72/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #17 largest hydro power plant of 36 in South Korea by capacity.
South Korea has 36 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 6,216 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Boogeo-seom · Solar · 13.8 MW · Gangwon-do
- Chuncheon CHP power station · Gas · 470 MW · Gangwon-do
- Chan Cheon · Hydro · 62 MW · Gangwon-do
- Soyang gang · Hydro · 200 MW · Gangwon-do
- Cheongpyeong · Hydro · 540 MW · Gyeonggi-do
- Hwacheon · Hydro · 108 MW · Gangwon-do
Location
Coordinates 37.836, 127.6779 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Uiam?
Uiam is a 48 MW hydro power plant in Gangwon-do, South Korea, commissioned in 1967.
Who operates Uiam?
Uiam is operated by Korea Hydro and Nuclear.