Al Hiswa is a 125 MW oil power station in Aden, Yemen. It is operated by Public Electricity Corporation. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 94k homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 17 Yemen power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1986, it is around 40 years old — long-established. In context, oil supplies about 87.6% of Yemen's electricity; the national grid averages 592 gCO₂/kWh (11.2% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022444.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 60 MW for Al-Hiswa 1 power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
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
At 125 MW, Al Hiswa is well above the median oil plant in Yemen (75 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Yemen oil capacity
- 11.3% of 1,103 MW across 12 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 5 of 8 dated oil plants in Yemen are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Yemen
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Public Electricity Corporation.
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 12.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #4 largest oil power plant of 12 in Yemen by capacity.
Yemen has 12 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 1,103 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Al Mansoura · Oil · 139 MW · Aden
- Khormaksar · Oil · 30 MW · Aden
- Osifra power station · Oil · 70 MW · Taizz
Location
Coordinates 12.8271, 44.9227 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Al Hiswa?
Al Hiswa is a 125 MW oil power plant in Aden, Yemen, commissioned in 1986.
Who operates Al Hiswa?
Al Hiswa is operated by Public Electricity Corporation.