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Energía Pacífico

Biomass power plant in O'Higgins, Chile. Approximate location -33.9817, -70.6976.

BiomassO'HigginsChile

Energía Pacífico is a 16 MW biomass power plant in O'Higgins, Chile. It is operated by ENERGIA PACIFICO S.A.. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 21k homes (estimated). It ranks #197 of 336 Chile power plants by installed capacity. In context, biomass supplies about 5.7% of Chile's electricity; the national grid averages 289 gCO₂/kWh (66.4% low-carbon) (2025).

16Legacy source-record capacity
21,474homes powered (est.)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CHL0003010.

Data status

Known data

FacilityEnergía Pacífico WRI
CountryChile · O'Higgins WRI
Coordinates-33.9817, -70.6976 WRI
FuelBiomass WRI
MW installed capacity16 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerENERGIA PACIFICO S.A. WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#197 of 336 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#9 of 22 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.11× · 14 MW median · 22 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent21,474 calculated
Climate14.6°C · HDD 1,459 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 31/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot available not in dataset
TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsNot 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 16 MW, Energía Pacífico is well above the median biomass plant in Chile (14 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.

Capacity vs largest biomass plants in Chile

Santa Fe: 67 MW67Santa FeNueva Aldea III: 37 MW37Nueva Alde…CMPC Pacífico: 33 MW33CMPC Pacíf…Lautaro: 26 MW26LautaroCMPC_Laja: 25 MW25CMPC_LajaArauco: 24 MW24AraucoLautaro II: 22 MW22Lautaro IILoma Los Colorados II: 18 MW18Loma Los C…

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

Owner

Operated by ENERGIA PACIFICO S.A..

Local climate & thermal context

This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.0°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

14.6°Cannual mean temp
1,459heating degree-days (base 18°C)
201cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,020 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 21 °CJF: 20 °CFM: 18 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 9 °CJJ: 9 °CJA: 10 °CAS: 11 °CSO: 14 °CON: 17 °CND: 19 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 41% 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: 33/100 — 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

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)
31/100environmental-severity index
12.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
107 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 #9 largest biomass power plant of 22 in Chile by capacity.

Chile has 22 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 384 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -33.9817, -70.6976 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Energía Pacífico?

Energía Pacífico is a 16 MW source-record biomass power plant in O'Higgins, Chile.

How many homes can Energía Pacífico power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 21,474 homes (estimated).

Who operates Energía Pacífico?

Energía Pacífico is operated by ENERGIA PACIFICO S.A..

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