GECSA — Guatemala
Oil power plant in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Approximate location 14.66, -90.832.
OilChimaltenangoGuatemala
GECSA is a 53.5 MW oil power plant in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 40k homes (estimated). It ranks #25 of 77 Guatemala power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. In context, oil supplies about 15.8% of Guatemala's electricity; the national grid averages 301 gCO₂/kWh (68.3% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061429.
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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 53.5 MW, GECSA is well above the median oil plant in Guatemala (44 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 Guatemala oil capacity
- 5.4% of 983 MW across 19 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 7 of 11 dated oil plants in Guatemala are older
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 Guatemala
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 14.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 82% 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: 20/100 — 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
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #7 largest oil power plant of 19 in Guatemala by capacity.
Guatemala has 19 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 983 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Industria Textiles Del Lago · Oil · 70 MW · Guatemala Department
- Electrogeneracion · Oil · 15.8 MW · Guatemala Department
- Palin II · Hydro · 5.8 MW · Escuintla
- La Libertad · Coal · 20 MW · Guatemala Department
- San Diego · Biomass · 5 MW · Escuintla
- Jurun Marinala · Hydro · 60 MW · Escuintla
Location
Coordinates 14.66, -90.832 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is GECSA?
GECSA is a 53.5 MW oil power plant in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, commissioned in 2007.