World Power Plants

Bighorn120 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Mar 2026

Bighorn is a 120 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Alberta, Canada, operated by TransAlta. The plant's commissioning year is not specified, and it adds to the province's hydroelectric generation capacity. It is the 137th largest hydro plant in Canada. With a capacity of 120 MW, it represents 0.12% of the total hydro capacity of 102,715 MW in the country. Canada has 612 hydro plants with a combined capacity of 102,715 MW. In comparison to the largest hydro plant, Centrale Robert-Bourassa at 5,616 MW, Bighorn is about 2.1% the size. Hydropower is a significant part of Alberta's energy portfolio, contributing to approximately 15% of the province's electricity generation. The region's river systems provide the necessary flow for hydroelectric generation. The facility is located roughly 90 km southwest of Edmonton.

Capacity
120 MW
Commissioning Year
2003

23 years old

Owner
TransAlta (100%)
Location
52.3081°, -116.3245°

Canada, North America

Context & rankings
  • 263. largest of 1,334 plants in Canada
  • #9,239 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #2,039 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
  • 0.06% of the installed capacity of Canada
Age & fleet comparison

23 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

TransAlta (100%) operates 23 plants totalling 1,006 MW

Regional density

2 plants within 100 km, 376 MW combined

Nearest plant: Outlet Works (88.1 km)

Data provenance

Location

Coordinates:: 52.308100, -116.324500
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Bighorn is a hydro power plant producing approximately 420 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
Canada
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

CanadaEnergy Profile

1,334
Total Plants
193.2 GW
Total Capacity
HydroGasNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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