Cancún II (Riviera Maya) power station — Mexico

Cancún II (Riviera Maya) power station is a 752 MW gas power station in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is operated by Comisión Federal de Electricidad EPE [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 847k homes (estimated). It ranks #35 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 61.6% of Mexico's electricity; the national grid averages 474 gCO₂/kWh (25.9% low-carbon) (2025).

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

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: GEM GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 752 MW, Cancún II (Riviera Maya) power station is well above the median gas plant in Mexico (368 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.

Key facts

Share of Mexico gas capacity

1.3% of 58,538 MW across 129 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 Mexico

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

Owner

Operated by Comisión Federal de Electricidad EPE [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

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 21.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

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 #23 largest gas power plant of 129 in Mexico by capacity.

Mexico has 129 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 58,538 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• NIZUC · Oil · 88 MW · Quintana Roo
• Cancún · Oil · 102 MW · Quintana Roo
• Yuumil'iik · Wind · 1.5 MW · Quintana Roo
• Xcalacoco mobile power station · Oil · 52.8 MW · Quintana Roo
• Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Valladolid) · Gas · 220 MW · Yucatan
• Valladolid III · Gas · 525 MW · Yucatan

Location

Coordinates 21.094409, -86.888937 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions