Cosima

Coal power plant in Maranhao, Brazil. Approximate location -3.6875, -45.428.

CoalMaranhaoBrazil

Cosima is a 5 MW coal power plant in Maranhao, Brazil. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 6.1k homes (estimated). It ranks #1597 of 2,572 Brazil power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 2.3% of Brazil's electricity; the national grid averages 110 gCO₂/kWh (88.7% low-carbon) (2025).

5Legacy source-record capacity
6,132homes powered (est.)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id BRA0030550.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCosima WRI
CountryBrazil · Maranhao WRI
Coordinates-3.6875, -45.428 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity5 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions21,462 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#1597 of 2572 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#29 of 30 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.02× · 262 MW median · 30 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent6,132 calculated
Climate26.8°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 35/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

OwnerNot available not in dataset
CommissionedNot available not in dataset
TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 5 MW, Cosima is below the median coal plant in Brazil (262 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

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

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Brazil

Açu power station: 2,100 MW2kAçu power …Presidente Médici Candiota power station: 796 MW796Presidente…Nova Seival power station: 726 MW726Nova Seiva…CTSul power station: 650 MW650CTSul powe…Barcarena Vale power station: 600 MW600Barcarena …Pedras Altas power station: 600 MW600Pedras Alt…Presidente Médici A B: 446 MW446Presidente…Porto do Pecém II: 365 MW365Porto do P…

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

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 3.7°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

26.8°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,207cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
28 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 26 °CJF: 26 °CFM: 26 °CMA: 26 °CAM: 27 °CMJ: 26 °CJJ: 26 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 27 °CSO: 28 °CON: 28 °CND: 27 °CD28 °C

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

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
1.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
206 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 #29 largest coal power plant of 30 in Brazil by capacity.

Brazil has 30 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 9,486 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -3.6875, -45.428 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Cosima?

Cosima is a 5 MW source-record coal power plant in Maranhao, Brazil.

How many homes can Cosima power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 6,132 homes (estimated).

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