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ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1

Gas power plant in Andalusia, Spain. Approximate location 36.6721, -5.8164.

GasAndalusiaSpainCCGT · HRSG

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 is a 1,585 MW gas power station in Andalusia, Spain. It is operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A.. Based on reported annual generation of 888 GWh, it can supply roughly 254k homes. It ranks #5 of 899 Spain power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2005, it is around 21 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 21.6% of Spain's electricity; the national grid averages 154 gCO₂/kWh (74.6% low-carbon) (2025).

1,585Source-backed capacity
3HRSG unit(s)
888GWh reported / yr
253,742homes powered
2005commissioned (~21 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1006203.

Data status

Known data

FacilityARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 WRI
CountrySpain · Andalusia WRI
Coordinates36.6721, -5.8164 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,585 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerIBERDROLA GENERACION S.A. WRI
Commissioned2005 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr888 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions355,240 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#5 of 899 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 95 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers29.36× · 54 MW median · 95 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent253,742 calculated from reported generation
Climate17.1°C · HDD 956 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 41/100 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 L100000400649); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,585 MW, ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 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.

Reported generation trend

2015: 198 GWh20152016: 909 GWh20162017: 888 GWh2017909 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A.. 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 36.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

17.1°Cannual mean temp
956heating degree-days (base 18°C)
626cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
205 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 12 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 22 °CSO: 18 °CON: 15 °CND: 12 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 61% 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: 26/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~1% 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
13.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
39 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 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 36.6721, -5.8164 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1?

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 is a 1,585 MW source-record gas power plant in Andalusia, Spain, commissioned in 2005.

How much electricity does ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 generate?

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 generates about 888 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 253,742 homes.

Who operates ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1?

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA GRUPO 1 is operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A..

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