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Al Wahda Thermal Power station

Gas power plant in Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco. Approximate location 34.8, -5.6.

GasGharb-Chrarda-Beni HssenMoroccoOCGTConstruction

Al Wahda Thermal Power station is a 800 MW gas power station in Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco. It is operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 901k homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 52 Morocco power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 10.9% of Morocco's electricity; the national grid averages 596 gCO₂/kWh (24.0% low-carbon) (2025).

800Legacy source-record capacity
901,028homes powered (est.)
2010Construction year

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061195.

Data status

Known data

FacilityAl Wahda Thermal Power station WRI
CountryMorocco · Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen WRI
Coordinates34.8, -5.6 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity800 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerOffice National de l\'Electricite (ONE) WRI
Commissioned2010 WRI
TechnologyOCGT WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions1,261,440 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#7 of 52 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#4 of 6 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.67× · 1,200 MW median · 6 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent901,028 calculated
Climate18.4°C · HDD 794 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 37/100 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 800 MW, Al Wahda Thermal Power station is below the median gas plant in Morocco (1,200 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Its current lifecycle status is “construction” — so it is not yet, or no longer, generating at full output. 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.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Morocco

Dhar Doum CCGT power station: 1,600 MW2kDhar Doum …Jorf Lasfar CCGT power station: 1,200 MW1kJorf Lasfa…Nador West power plant: 1,200 MW1kNador West…Al Wahda Thermal Power station: 800 MW800Al Wahda T…Ain Beni Mathar Centrale Thermosolaire (CCGT): 472 MW472Ain Beni M…Centrale a cycle combine de Tahaddart: 400 MW400Centrale a…

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

Owner

Operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE). All plants by this company →

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-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.4°Cannual mean temp
794heating degree-days (base 18°C)
968cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
222 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 12 °CFM: 14 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 19 °CMJ: 23 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 20 °CON: 16 °CND: 12 °CD27 °C

Heating degree-days here run 68% 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: 24/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~2% 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
37/100environmental-severity index
15.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
59 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 #4 largest gas power plant of 6 in Morocco by capacity.

Morocco has 6 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 5,672 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 34.8, -5.6 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Al Wahda Thermal Power station?

Al Wahda Thermal Power station is a 800 MW source-record gas power plant in Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco, planned/announced for 2010.

How many homes can Al Wahda Thermal Power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 901,028 homes (estimated).

Who operates Al Wahda Thermal Power station?

Al Wahda Thermal Power station is operated by Office National de l\'Electricite (ONE).

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