Boca de Jaruco — Cuba

Boca de Jaruco is a 313 MW gas power station in Mayabeque, Cuba. It is operated by Unión Eléctrica. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 353k homes (estimated). It ranks #11 of 22 Cuba power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2015, it is around 11 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 13.6% of Cuba's electricity; the national grid averages 643 gCO₂/kWh (4.0% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002023.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 313 MW for Boca de Jaruco power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000406588; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

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.

Key facts

Share of Cuba gas capacity

64.4% of 486 MW across 2 plants in this dataset

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

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Cuba

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

Owner

Operated by Unión Eléctrica. 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 tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 23.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

A gas turbine here also runs ~7% 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

This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #1 largest gas power plant of 2 in Cuba by capacity.

Cuba has 2 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 486 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Santa Cruz · Oil · 300 MW · Mayabeque
• Powership Erol Bey power station · Oil · 63 MW · La Habana
• Havana TPP · Oil · 500 MW · La Habana
• Antonio Guiteras Powerplant · Oil · 330 MW · Matanzas
• CTE Máximo Gómez power station · Oil · 370 MW · Artemisa
• Termoeléctrica de Santa Cruz power station · Oil · 495 MW · Mayabeque

Location

Coordinates 23.1822, -82.0171 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions