Essakane Gold Mine power station — Burkina Faso
Oil power plant in Soum, Burkina Faso. Approximate location 13.873919, -0.917234.
OilSoumBurkina Faso
Essakane Gold Mine power station is a 57 MW oil power plant in Soum, Burkina Faso. It is operated by IAMGOLD Corp. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 43k homes (estimated). It ranks #3 of 9 Burkina Faso power plants by installed capacity. In context, oil supplies about 82.8% of Burkina Faso's electricity; the national grid averages 562 gCO₂/kWh (17.2% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_essakanegoldmine_burkin.
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: GEM · 2026 · L100000409044; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 57 MW, Essakane Gold Mine power station is around the median oil plant in Burkina Faso (57 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Burkina Faso oil capacity
- 22.1% of 257 MW across 5 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Burkina Faso
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by IAMGOLD Corp.
Climate zone & how it works
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 13.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
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 #3 largest oil power plant of 5 in Burkina Faso by capacity.
Burkina Faso has 5 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 257 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Essakane · Solar · 19.9 MW · Sahel
Location
Coordinates 13.873919, -0.917234 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Essakane Gold Mine power station?
Essakane Gold Mine power station is a 57 MW oil power plant in Soum, Burkina Faso.
Who operates Essakane Gold Mine power station?
Essakane Gold Mine power station is operated by IAMGOLD Corp.