Huinalá II — Mexico

Huinalá II is a 471.2 MW gas power station in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It is operated by CFE. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 531k homes (estimated). It ranks #77 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 61.6% of Mexico's electricity; the national grid averages 474 gCO₂/kWh (25.9% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id MEX0001806.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 837 MW for Huinalá CC power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000406674; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 471.2 MW, Huinalá II is well above the median gas plant in Mexico (368 MW). 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.

Key facts

Share of Mexico gas capacity

0.8% of 58,538 MW across 129 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 gas plants in Mexico

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

Owner

Operated by CFE. All plants by this company →

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 hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 25.7°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 88% 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: 18/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~5% 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

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 #54 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

• Huinalá (Turbogás) · Gas · 150 MW · Nuevo Leon
• Monterrey III (Dulces Nombres) · Gas · 449 MW · Nuevo Leon
• Huinalá (CC) · Gas · 377.7 MW · Nuevo Leon
• Planta Dulces Nombres · Biomass · 9.2 MW · Nuevo Leon
• Iberdrola Energía Monterrey · Gas · 659.2 MW · Nuevo Leon
• Pemcorp Energy power station · Gas · 273.6 MW · Nuevo Leon

Location

Coordinates 25.7221, -100.1034 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions