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Generadora Pondercel power station

Gas power plant in Chihuahua, Mexico. Approximate location 28.4806, -106.7311.

GasChihuahuaMexicoSteamCO₂ modelled

Generadora Pondercel power station is a 65 MW gas power plant in Chihuahua, Mexico. It is operated by Generadora Pondercel SA de CV. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 73k homes (estimated). It ranks #212 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 255,440 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 60k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 61.6% of Mexico's electricity; the national grid averages 474 gCO₂/kWh (25.9% low-carbon) (2025).

65Source-backed capacity
73,208homes powered (est.)
255,440t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2007commissioned (~19 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5996.

Data status

Known data

FacilityGeneradora Pondercel power station Climate TRACE
CountryMexico · Chihuahua Climate TRACE
Coordinates28.4806, -106.7311 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity65 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerGeneradora Pondercel SA de CV Climate TRACE
Commissioned2007 Climate TRACE
TechnologySteam Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions255,440 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#212 of 366 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#122 of 129 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.18× · 368 MW median · 129 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent73,208 calculated
Climate14.8°C · HDD 1,472 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 35/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000406277); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 65 MW, Generadora Pondercel power station is below the median gas plant in Mexico (368 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

~255,440 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

60kpassenger cars driven for a year
33khomes' yearly energy use
4.3 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Mexico

Noreste (Escobedo) power station: 1,680 MW2kNoreste (E…Jorge Luque power station: 1,660 MW2kJorge Luqu…Energía de Celaya power station: 1,617 MW2kEnergía de…Empalme I power station: 1,482 MW1kEmpalme I …Tuxpan III y IV: 1,180 MW1kTuxpan III…Tamazunchale: 1,179 MW1kTamazuncha…Altamira V: 1,155 MW1kAltamira VTajín Energía power station: 1,146 MW1kTajín Ener…

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

Owner

Operated by Generadora Pondercel SA de CV.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 28.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

14.8°Cannual mean temp
1,472heating degree-days (base 18°C)
304cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,992 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 8 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 18 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 19 °CSO: 15 °CON: 11 °CND: 8 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 40% 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.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
14.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
351 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 #122 largest gas power plant of 129 in Mexico by capacity.

Mexico has 129 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 58,538 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 28.4806, -106.7311 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Generadora Pondercel power station?

Generadora Pondercel power station is a 65 MW source-record gas power plant in Chihuahua, Mexico, commissioned in 2007.

How many homes can Generadora Pondercel power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 73,208 homes (estimated).

Who operates Generadora Pondercel power station?

Generadora Pondercel power station is operated by Generadora Pondercel SA de CV.

How much CO₂ does Generadora Pondercel power station emit?

Generadora Pondercel power station has modelled emissions of about 255,440 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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