Yangbajain Geothermal is a 25.1 MW geothermal power plant in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 47k homes (estimated). It ranks #4844 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1977, it is around 49 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061455.
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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Geothermal plants tap underground heat to raise steam for a turbine; they provide steady, low-carbon baseload but are limited to geologically active regions.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of China geothermal capacity
- 96.2% of 26 MW across 2 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 geothermal plants in China
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This geothermal plant taps underground heat to raise steam that drives a turbine. It sits in a polar tundra climate (Köppen ET) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 30.1°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 170% 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: 99/100 — 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 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 #1 largest geothermal power plant of 2 in China by capacity.
China has 2 geothermal power plants in this dataset, together about 26 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Yangbajing · Solar · 30 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
- Lhasa · Solar · 10 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
- LHASA TPSP · Oil · 103.5 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
- State Grid Lasa Gas power station · Gas · 180 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
- Dongga Power Plant · Gas · 283.5 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
- Tibet Lhasa power station · Biomass · 40 MW · Tibet Autonomous Region
Location
Coordinates 30.0973, 90.5078 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Yangbajain Geothermal?
Yangbajain Geothermal is a 25.1 MW geothermal power plant in Tibet Autonomous Region, China, commissioned in 1977.