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Alto Lindoso

Hydro power plant in Galicia, Portugal. Approximate location 41.8693, -8.2029.

HydroGaliciaPortugalconventional storage

Alto Lindoso is a 630 MW hydro power station in Galicia, Portugal. It is operated by EDP SA [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 335 GWh, it can supply roughly 96k homes. It ranks #8 of 480 Portugal power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1992, it is around 34 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 29.7% of Portugal's electricity; the national grid averages 128 gCO₂/kWh (81.0% low-carbon) (2025).

630Source-backed capacity
335GWh reported / yr
95,771homes powered
1992commissioned (~34 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023233.

Data status

Known data

FacilityAlto Lindoso WRI
CountryPortugal · Galicia WRI
Coordinates41.8693, -8.2029 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity630 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEDP SA [100%] WRI
Commissioned1992 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI
GWh reported / yr335 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#8 of 480 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 122 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers134.04× · 5 MW median · 122 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent95,771 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.2°C · HDD 2,502 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 L100000603188); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 630 MW, Alto Lindoso is well above the median hydro plant in Portugal (5 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.

Reported generation trend

2015: 431 GWh20152016: 1,114 GWh20162017: 335 GWh20171k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by EDP SA [100%].

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) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 41.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.2°Cannual mean temp
2,502heating degree-days (base 18°C)
26cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
854 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 5 °CJF: 6 °CFM: 8 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 12 °CON: 8 °CND: 6 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 2% 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: 51/100 — 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

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
13.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
47 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 #2 largest hydro power plant of 122 in Portugal by capacity.

Portugal has 122 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,718 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 41.8693, -8.2029 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Alto Lindoso?

Alto Lindoso is a 630 MW source-record hydro power plant in Galicia, Portugal, commissioned in 1992.

How much electricity does Alto Lindoso generate?

Alto Lindoso generates about 335 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Alto Lindoso power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 95,771 homes.

Who operates Alto Lindoso?

Alto Lindoso is operated by EDP SA [100%].

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