Coruripe Iturama — Brazil

Coruripe Iturama is a 24 MW biomass power plant in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is operated by Coruripe Energética SA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 33k homes (estimated). It ranks #941 of 2,572 Brazil power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2002, it is around 24 years old — relatively modern. In context, biomass supplies about 7.3% of Brazil's electricity; the national grid averages 110 gCO₂/kWh (88.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id BRA0028479.

Data provenance

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

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 24 MW, Coruripe Iturama is well above the median biomass plant in Brazil (15 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Brazil biomass capacity

0.1% of 17,205 MW across 547 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

125 of 394 dated biomass plants in Brazil are older

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

Capacity vs largest biomass plants in Brazil

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

Owner

Operated by Coruripe Energética SA.

Local climate & thermal context

This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 19.7°S — 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.

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 a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #223 largest biomass power plant of 547 in Brazil by capacity.

Brazil has 547 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 17,205 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Usina Coruripe Açúcar e Álcool · Biomass · 20 MW · Minas Gerais
• Água Vermelha (Antiga José Ermírio de Moraes) · Hydro · 1,396.2 MW · Minas Gerais
• Ouroeste · Biomass · 12 MW · Sao Paulo
• Limeira do Oeste power station · Biomass · 12 MW · Minas Gerais
• Carneirinho power station · Biomass · 24 MW · Mato Grosso do Sul
• Colombo Santa Albertina · Biomass · 50 MW · Sao Paulo

Location

Coordinates -19.7046, -50.3289 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions