Umbani power station — South Africa

Umbani power station is a 600 MW coal power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is operated by ISS Global Mining Pty Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 751k homes (estimated). It ranks #41 of 152 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 81.4% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).

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

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 600 MW, Umbani power station is below the median coal plant in South Africa (1,180 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of South Africa coal capacity

0.9% of 67,847 MW across 37 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest coal plants in South Africa

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

Owner

Operated by ISS Global Mining Pty Ltd [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 26.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), 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 #29 largest coal power plant of 37 in South Africa by capacity.

South Africa has 37 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 67,847 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Kriel power station · Coal · 3,000 MW · Mpumalanga
• Matla power station · Coal · 3,600 MW · Mpumalanga
• Komati Power Station · Coal · 990 MW · Mpumalanga
• Duvha power station · Coal · 3,000 MW · Mpumalanga
• Kendal power station · Coal · 4,116 MW · Mpumalanga
• Secunda power station · Gas · 880 MW · Mpumalanga

Location

Coordinates -26.255, 29.263 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions