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La Caridad power station

Gas power plant in Sonora, Mexico. Approximate location 30.5219, -109.6197.

GasSonoraMexicoCCGT · HRSGCO₂ modelled

La Caridad power station is a 516 MW gas power station in Sonora, Mexico. It is operated by Minera México. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 581k homes (estimated). It ranks #63 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 1,267,880 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 296k 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).

516Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
581,388homes powered (est.)
1,267,880t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5946.

Data status

Known data

FacilityLa Caridad power station Climate TRACE
CountryMexico · Sonora Climate TRACE
Coordinates30.5219, -109.6197 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity516 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerMinera México Climate TRACE
Commissioned2013 Climate TRACE
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions1,267,880 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#63 of 366 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#42 of 129 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.40× · 368 MW median · 129 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent581,388 calculated
Climate17.2°C · HDD 1,133 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 38/100 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 L100000406233); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 516 MW, La Caridad power station is well above the median gas plant in Mexico (368 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

~1,267,880 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

296kpassenger cars driven for a year
165khomes' yearly energy use
21 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 Minera México.

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 30.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

17.2°Cannual mean temp
1,133heating degree-days (base 18°C)
844cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,408 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 9 °CJF: 10 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 16 °CAM: 20 °CMJ: 25 °CJJ: 25 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 23 °CSO: 18 °CON: 13 °CND: 9 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 54% 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: 28/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~2% 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)
38/100environmental-severity index
16.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
326 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 #42 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 30.5219, -109.6197 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is La Caridad power station?

La Caridad power station is a 516 MW source-record gas power plant in Sonora, Mexico, commissioned in 2013.

How many homes can La Caridad power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 581,388 homes (estimated).

Who operates La Caridad power station?

La Caridad power station is operated by Minera México.

How much CO₂ does La Caridad power station emit?

La Caridad power station has modelled emissions of about 1,267,880 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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