COSTANERA — Argentina

COSTANERA is a 1,982.2 MW coal power station in Buenos Aires F.D., Argentina. It is operated by ENDESA COSTANERA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.5 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 275 Argentina power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1983, it is around 43 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 1.8% of Argentina's electricity; the national grid averages 346 gCO₂/kWh (41.6% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id ARG0000046.

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 1,982.2 MW, COSTANERA is well above the median coal plant in Argentina (361 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.

Key facts

Share of Argentina coal capacity

38.7% of 5,128 MW across 10 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

5 of 9 dated coal plants in Argentina are older

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

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Argentina

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

Owner

Operated by ENDESA COSTANERA.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

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.

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #1 largest coal power plant of 10 in Argentina by capacity.

Argentina has 10 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 5,128 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• EX CENTRAL BUENOS AIRES · Gas · 321 MW · Buenos Aires F.D.
• DOCK SUD · Gas · 861 MW · Buenos Aires
• PUERTO NUEVO · Coal · 589 MW · Buenos Aires F.D.
• NUEVO PUERTO · Gas · 1,217.7 MW · Buenos Aires F.D.
• CENTRAL TERMICA REMEDIOS DE ESCALADA · Oil · 25 MW · Buenos Aires
• CENTRAL TERMOELECTRICA GUILLERMO BROWN · Gas · 524 MW · Buenos Aires

Location

Coordinates -34.626, -58.3393 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions