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El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station

Gas power plant in Nuevo León, Mexico. Approximate location 25.869982, -100.358834.

GasNuevo LeónMexicoCCGT · HRSG

El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station is a 866 MW gas power station in Nuevo León, Mexico. It is operated by Iberdrola México SA de CV [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 975k homes (estimated). It ranks #29 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. In context, gas supplies about 61.6% of Mexico's electricity; the national grid averages 474 gCO₂/kWh (25.9% low-carbon) (2025).

866MW installed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
975,363homes powered (est.)
2019commissioned (~7 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityEl Carmen Nuevo Leon power station GEM-GOGPT
CountryMexico · Nuevo León GEM-GOGPT
Coordinates25.869982, -100.358834 GEM-GOGPT
FuelGas GEM-GOGPT
MW installed capacity866 MW GEM · 2026 · L100000406652; operating plant capacity
OwnerIberdrola México SA de CV [100%] GEM-GOGPT
Commissioned2019 GEM-GOGPT
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG GEM-GOGPT

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions1,365,509 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#29 / 366 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#17 / 129 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.35× · 368 MW · n=129 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent975,363 calculated
Climate22.4°C · HDD 233 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 41/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

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/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000406652; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 866 MW, El Carmen Nuevo Leon 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.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Mexico

Noreste (Escobedo) power station: 1,680 MW2kNoreste (E…Jorge Luque power station: 1,660 MW2kJorge Luqu…Energía de Celaya power station: 1,617 MW2kEnergía de…Empalme I power station: 1,482 MW1kEmpalme I …Tuxpan III y IV: 1,180 MW1kTuxpan III…Tamazunchale: 1,179 MW1kTamazuncha…Altamira V: 1,155 MW1kAltamira VTajín Energía power station: 1,146 MW1kTajín Ener…

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

Owner

Operated by Iberdrola México SA de CV [100%].

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 hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 25.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

22.4°Cannual mean temp
233heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,849cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
476 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 14 °CJF: 17 °CFM: 20 °CMA: 24 °CAM: 26 °CMJ: 28 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 23 °CON: 19 °CND: 15 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 91% 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: 17/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~5% 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

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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
14.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
283 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 #17 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

Location

Coordinates 25.869982, -100.358834 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station?

El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station is a 866 MW gas power plant in Nuevo León, Mexico, commissioned in 2019.

How many homes can El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 975,363 homes (estimated).

Who operates El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station?

El Carmen Nuevo Leon power station is operated by Iberdrola México SA de CV [100%].

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