Las Vacas — Guatemala

Las Vacas is a 39 MW hydro power plant in Guatemala Department, Guatemala. It is operated by Fabrigas SA; Cementos Progreso SA. Based on reported annual generation of 87 GWh, it can supply roughly 25k homes. It ranks #34 of 77 Guatemala power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2002, it is around 24 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 39.9% 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 WRI1061396.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001054722; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 39 MW, Las Vacas is well above the median hydro plant in Guatemala (12.8 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.

Key facts

Load factor

26%, from 87 GWh of reported generation; the median for 24 hydro plants in Guatemala that report generation is 39%

Share of Guatemala hydro capacity

3.9% of 1,003 MW across 30 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

11 of 30 dated hydro 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 hydro plants in Guatemala

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

Owner

Operated by Fabrigas SA; Cementos Progreso SA.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 14.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

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

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #8 largest hydro power plant of 30 in Guatemala by capacity.

Guatemala has 30 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,003 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Generadora Progreso · Oil · 22 MW · El Progreso
• La Libertad · Coal · 20 MW · Guatemala Department
• Laguna Gas 2 · Oil · 26 MW · Guatemala Department
• Laguna Gas 1 · Oil · 17 MW · Guatemala Department
• Electrogeneracion · Oil · 15.8 MW · Guatemala Department
• Industria Textiles Del Lago · Oil · 70 MW · Guatemala Department

Location

Coordinates 14.76, -90.5 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions