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Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez)

Hydro power plant in Barinas, Venezuela. Approximate location 8.8246, -70.5145.

HydroBarinasVenezuelaconventional storage

Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) is a 240 MW hydro power station in Barinas, Venezuela. It is operated by Corporación Eléctrica Nacional SA [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 574 GWh, it can supply roughly 164k homes. It ranks #36 of 59 Venezuela power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1973, it is around 53 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 91.1% of Venezuela's electricity; the national grid averages 86 gCO₂/kWh (91.1% low-carbon) (2024).

240Source-backed capacity
574GWh reported / yr
164,000homes powered
1973commissioned (~53 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1018648.

Data status

Known data

FacilityJose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) WRI
CountryVenezuela · Barinas WRI
Coordinates8.8246, -70.5145 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity240 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCorporación Eléctrica Nacional SA [100%] WRI
Commissioned1973 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI
GWh reported / yr574 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#36 of 59 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#7 of 9 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.47× · 514 MW median · 9 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent164,000 calculated from reported generation
Climate25.7°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 40/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 L100000603985); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 240 MW, Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) is below the median hydro plant in Venezuela (514 MW). Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

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

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Venezuela

Simon Bolivar (Guri): 10,200 MW10kSimon Boli…Antonio Jose de Sucre (Macagua): 2,930 MW3kAntonio Jo…Manuel Piar (Tocoma) Hydroelectric Power Plant Venezuela: 2,530 MW3kManuel Pia…Fransisco de Miranda (Caruachi): 2,160 MW2kFransisco …Fabricio Ojeda (La Vueltosa) Hydroelectric Power Plant Venezuela: 514 MW514Fabricio O…Leanardo Ruiz Pineda (San Agaton): 300 MW300Leanardo R…Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez): 240 MW240Jose Anton…Juan Antonio Rodriguez (Pena Larga): 80 MW80Juan Anton…

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

Owner

Operated by Corporación Eléctrica Nacional SA [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

25.7°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
2,795cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
502 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 25 °CJF: 26 °CFM: 26 °CMA: 26 °CAM: 26 °CMJ: 26 °CJJ: 25 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 26 °CON: 26 °CND: 25 °CD26 °C

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
40/100environmental-severity index
1.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
130 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 #7 largest hydro power plant of 9 in Venezuela by capacity.

Venezuela has 9 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 18,979 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 8.8246, -70.5145 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez)?

Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) is a 240 MW source-record hydro power plant in Barinas, Venezuela, commissioned in 1973.

How much electricity does Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) generate?

Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) generates about 574 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 164,000 homes.

Who operates Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez)?

Jose Antonio Paez (Planta Paez) is operated by Corporación Eléctrica Nacional SA [100%].

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