Wanjiazhai — China

Wanjiazhai is a 1,080 MW hydro power station in Inner Mongolia, China. It is operated by Yellow River Wangjiazhai Water Resources Hub Co Ltd; Yellow River Wanjiazhai Wat. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.1 million homes (estimated). It ranks #946 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2000, it is around 26 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 13.2% of China's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000531.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000601230; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,080 MW, Wanjiazhai is well above the median hydro plant in China (24 MW). 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.

Key facts

Share of China hydro capacity

0.4% of 262,337 MW across 947 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

79 of 381 dated hydro plants in China 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 China

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

Owner

Operated by Yellow River Wangjiazhai Water Resources Hub Co Ltd; Yellow River Wanjiazhai Wat.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.6°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 85% 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: 91/100 — 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #60 largest hydro power plant of 947 in China by capacity.

China has 947 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 262,337 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Zhunger Zhujiaping power station · Coal · 1,320 MW · Inner Mongolia
• Zhunger Weijiamao power station · Coal · 1,320 MW · Inner Mongolia
• Guodian Zhunger Changtan power station · Coal · 1,320 MW · Inner Mongolia
• Guanzigou power station · Coal · 1,320 MW · Inner Mongolia
• Madiliang Coal Mine power station · Coal · 2,000 MW · Inner Mongolia
• Zhunger Heidaigou power station · Coal · 2,000 MW · Inner Mongolia

Location

Coordinates 39.58, 111.43 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions