Magdalena — Guatemala
Biomass power plant in Escuintla, Guatemala. Approximate location 14.12, -90.932.
BiomassEscuintlaGuatemala
Magdalena is a 145 MW biomass power station in Escuintla, Guatemala. Based on reported annual generation of 1,000 GWh, it can supply roughly 286k homes. It ranks #5 of 77 Guatemala power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. In context, biomass supplies about 22.2% 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 WRI1061443.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 145 MW, Magdalena is well above the median biomass plant in Guatemala (76.9 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 79%, from 1,000 GWh of reported generation; the median for 9 biomass plants in Guatemala that report generation is 41%
- Share of Guatemala biomass capacity
- 16.5% of 880 MW across 13 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 1 of 13 dated biomass plants in Guatemala is older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest biomass plants in Guatemala
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 14.1°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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #1 largest biomass power plant of 13 in Guatemala by capacity.
Guatemala has 13 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 880 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
Location
Coordinates 14.12, -90.932 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Magdalena?
Magdalena is a 145 MW biomass power plant in Escuintla, Guatemala, commissioned in 1994.
How much electricity does Magdalena generate?
Magdalena generates about 1,000 GWh of electricity per year.