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Abqaiq cogeneration power station

Gas power plant in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Approximate location 25.9352, 49.6885.

GasEastern ProvinceSaudi ArabiaOCGTCO₂ modelled

Abqaiq cogeneration power station is a 360 MW gas power station in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Power Cogeneration Plant Co. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 405k homes (estimated). It ranks #85 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2017, it is around 9 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 1,186,250 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 277k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 63.3% of Saudi Arabia's electricity; the national grid averages 692 gCO₂/kWh (2.2% low-carbon) (2024).

360Source-backed capacity
405,462homes powered (est.)
1,186,250t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2017commissioned (~9 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-6456.

Data status

Known data

FacilityAbqaiq cogeneration power station Climate TRACE
CountrySaudi Arabia · Eastern Province Climate TRACE
Coordinates25.9352, 49.6885 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity360 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerPower Cogeneration Plant Co Climate TRACE
Commissioned2017 Climate TRACE
TechnologyOCGT Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions1,186,250 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#85 of 156 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#46 of 71 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.72× · 497 MW median · 71 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent405,462 calculated
Climate26.5°C · HDD 87 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 48/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000401090); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 360 MW, Abqaiq cogeneration power station is below the median gas plant in Saudi Arabia (497 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

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

~1,186,250 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

277kpassenger cars driven for a year
155khomes' yearly energy use
20 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Saudi Arabia

Qurayyah Thermal power plant: 6,275 MW6kQurayyah T…GHAZLAN: 4,256 MW4kGHAZLANHajr for Electricity Production Co. Station: 4,098 MW4kHajr for E…QURAYYAH- CC: 4,098 MW4kQURAYYAH- …Jizan IGCC power plant: 3,850 MW4kJizan IGCC…Nairyah IPP Power Plant: 3,600 MW4kNairyah IP…Riyadh 16 power plant: 3,600 MW4kRiyadh 16 …Rumah IPP Power Plant: 3,600 MW4kRumah IPP …

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

Owner

Operated by Power Cogeneration Plant Co.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 25.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

26.5°Cannual mean temp
87heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,191cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
55 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 16 °CJF: 17 °CFM: 21 °CMA: 26 °CAM: 31 °CMJ: 34 °CJJ: 35 °CJA: 35 °CAS: 32 °CSO: 28 °CON: 23 °CND: 18 °CD35 °C

Heating degree-days here run 96% below 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: 15/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~8% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
48/100environmental-severity index
19.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
65 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 #46 largest gas power plant of 71 in Saudi Arabia by capacity.

Saudi Arabia has 71 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 89,013 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 25.9352, 49.6885 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Abqaiq cogeneration power station?

Abqaiq cogeneration power station is a 360 MW source-record gas power plant in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, commissioned in 2017.

How many homes can Abqaiq cogeneration power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 405,462 homes (estimated).

Who operates Abqaiq cogeneration power station?

Abqaiq cogeneration power station is operated by Power Cogeneration Plant Co.

How much CO₂ does Abqaiq cogeneration power station emit?

Abqaiq cogeneration power station has modelled emissions of about 1,186,250 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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