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FUTALEUFU

Hydro power plant in Chubut, Argentina. Approximate location -43.1288, -71.63.

HydroChubutArgentina

FUTALEUFU is a 472 MW hydro power station in Chubut, Argentina. It is operated by H. FUTALEUFU SA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 472,539 homes (estimated). It ranks #26 of 236 Argentina power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1978, it is around 48 years old — long-established. 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).

472MW installed capacity
472,539homes powered (est.)
1978commissioned (~48 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id ARG0000080.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Argentina

YACYRETA: 1,550 MW2kYACYRETAPIEDRA DEL AGUILA (CPSA): 1,400 MW1kPIEDRA DEL…EL CHOCON: 1,200 MW1kEL CHOCONALICURA: 1,050 MW1kALICURASALTO GRANDE (MITAD ARGENTINA): 945 MW945SALTO GRAN…RIO GRANDE: 750 MW750RIO GRANDEFUTALEUFU: 472 MW472FUTALEUFUPLANICIE BANDERITA: 472 MW472PLANICIE B…

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

Owner

Operated by H. FUTALEUFU SA.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 43.1°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

7.8°Cannual mean temp
3,743heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
793 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 14 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 11 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 5 °CMJ: 2 °CJJ: 1 °CJA: 3 °CAS: 5 °CSO: 8 °CON: 10 °CND: 12 °CD14 °C

Heating degree-days here run 52% above 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: 81/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.

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.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #7 largest hydro power plant of 50 in Argentina by capacity.

Argentina has 50 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 10,000 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -43.1288, -71.63 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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