EL CARRIZAL — Argentina
Hydro power plant in Mendoza, Argentina. Approximate location -33.2993, -68.7199.
HydroMendozaArgentina
EL CARRIZAL is a 17 MW hydro power plant in Mendoza, Argentina. It is operated by CEMPPSA - HIDROCUYO SA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 17k homes (estimated). It ranks #180 of 275 Argentina power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1971, it is around 55 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 17.1% 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 ARG0000196.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 17 MW, EL CARRIZAL is below the median hydro plant in Argentina (42 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Argentina hydro capacity
- 0.2% of 9,991 MW across 50 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 20 of 49 dated hydro 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 hydro plants in Argentina
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by CEMPPSA - HIDROCUYO SA.
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 33.3°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 34% 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: 37/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #34 largest hydro power plant of 50 in Argentina by capacity.
Argentina has 50 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 9,991 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- CRUZ DE PIEDRA · Gas · 17.9 MW · Mendoza
- GENERAL SAN MARTIN · Hydro · 6 MW · Mendoza
- Luján de Cuyo II power station · Gas · 105 MW · Mendoza
- LUJAN DE CUYO · Gas · 521 MW · Mendoza
- ALVAREZ CONDARCO · Hydro · 50.7 MW · Mendoza
- CACHEUTA (NUEVA) · Hydro · 120 MW · Mendoza
Location
Coordinates -33.2993, -68.7199 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is EL CARRIZAL?
EL CARRIZAL is a 17 MW hydro power plant in Mendoza, Argentina, commissioned in 1971.
Who operates EL CARRIZAL?
EL CARRIZAL is operated by CEMPPSA - HIDROCUYO SA.