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AMOREBIETA

Gas power plant in Basque Country, Spain. Approximate location 43.2347, -2.7497.

GasBasque CountrySpainCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

AMOREBIETA is a 786 MW gas power station in Basque Country, Spain. It is operated by BIZKAIA ENERGIA S.L.U.. Based on reported annual generation of 928 GWh, it can supply roughly 265k homes. It ranks #38 of 899 Spain power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2005, it is around 21 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 519,539 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 121k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 21.6% of Spain's electricity; the national grid averages 154 gCO₂/kWh (74.6% low-carbon) (2025).

786Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
928GWh reported / yr
265,257homes powered
519,539t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
2005commissioned (~21 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1006189.

Data status

Known data

FacilityAMOREBIETA WRI
CountrySpain · Basque Country WRI
Coordinates43.2347, -2.7497 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity786 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerBIZKAIA ENERGIA S.L.U. WRI
Commissioned2005 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr928 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions519,539 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#38 of 899 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#20 of 95 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers14.56× · 54 MW median · 95 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent265,257 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.7°C · HDD 2,311 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 40/100 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 L100000400648); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 786 MW, AMOREBIETA is well above the median gas plant in Spain (54 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

519,539 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

121kpassenger cars driven for a year
68khomes' yearly energy use
8.7 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2015: 772 GWh20152016: 662 GWh20162017: 928 GWh2017928 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by BIZKAIA ENERGIA S.L.U..

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.7°Cannual mean temp
2,311heating degree-days (base 18°C)
11cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
476 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 6 °CJF: 7 °CFM: 8 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 13 °CON: 9 °CND: 7 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 6% 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: 48/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% 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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
40/100environmental-severity index
12.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
1 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 #20 largest gas power plant of 95 in Spain by capacity.

Spain has 95 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 32,018 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 43.2347, -2.7497 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is AMOREBIETA?

AMOREBIETA is a 786 MW source-record gas power plant in Basque Country, Spain, commissioned in 2005.

How much electricity does AMOREBIETA generate?

AMOREBIETA generates about 928 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can AMOREBIETA power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 265,257 homes.

Who operates AMOREBIETA?

AMOREBIETA is operated by BIZKAIA ENERGIA S.L.U..

How much CO₂ does AMOREBIETA emit?

AMOREBIETA has measured emissions of about 519,539 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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