ALICURA — Argentina

ALICURA is a 1,040 MW hydro power station in Rio Negro, Argentina. It is operated by AES ARGENTINA GENERACION S.A.. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.0 million homes (estimated). It ranks #6 of 275 Argentina power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1987, it is around 39 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 17.1% of Argentina's electricity; the national grid averages 346 gCO₂/kWh (41.6% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id ARG0000230.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000600019; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,040 MW, ALICURA is well above the median hydro plant in Argentina (42 MW). Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

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

Key facts

Share of Argentina hydro capacity

10.4% of 9,991 MW across 50 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

34 of 49 dated hydro plants in Argentina are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Argentina

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

Owner

Operated by AES ARGENTINA GENERACION S.A.. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 40.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 18% 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: 59/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness 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 hydro power plant of 50 in Argentina by capacity.

Argentina has 50 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 9,991 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• SAN MARTIN DE LOS ANDES · Oil · 4.2 MW · Neuquen
• CT BARILOCHE · Oil · 20 MW · Rio Negro
• BARILOCHE (PUERTO MORENO) · Oil · 5.7 MW · Rio Negro
• H. PICHI PICUN LEUFU · Hydro · 285 MW · Neuquen
• MUCHI · Hydro · 1 MW · Los Lagos
• LOS CORRALES 2 · Hydro · 1 MW · Los Lagos

Location

Coordinates -40.58, -70.7489 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions