MAKKAH — Saudi Arabia
Oil power plant in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Approximate location 21.47, 39.799.
OilMakkahSaudi ArabiaOCGTCO₂ modelled
MAKKAH is a 795.6 MW oil power station in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 597k homes (estimated). It ranks #61 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1982, it is around 44 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 2,914,400 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 679k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 34.5% of Saudi Arabia's electricity; the national grid averages 692 gCO₂/kWh (2.2% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1030675.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 321 MW for Makkah 2 power plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
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 795.6 MW, MAKKAH is well above the median oil plant in Saudi Arabia (364.6 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~2,914,400 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of Saudi Arabia oil capacity
- 1.3% of 61,625 MW across 76 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 7 of 68 dated oil plants in Saudi Arabia are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Saudi Arabia
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 21.5°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 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 #28 largest oil power plant of 76 in Saudi Arabia by capacity.
Saudi Arabia has 76 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 61,625 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- JEDDAH NO.3 · Oil · 1,808 MW · Makkah
- Jeddah PP3 power plant · Oil · 1,987.5 MW · Makkah
- JEDDAH NO.2 · Oil · 157.9 MW · Makkah
- TAIF · Oil · 126.6 MW · Makkah
- JEDDAH SOUTH · Oil · 2,640 MW · Makkah
- JEDDAH (SWCC) · Oil · 931 MW · Makkah
Location
Coordinates 21.47, 39.799 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is MAKKAH?
MAKKAH is a 795.6 MW oil power plant in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, commissioned in 1982.
Who operates MAKKAH?
MAKKAH is operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
How much CO₂ does MAKKAH emit?
MAKKAH has modelled emissions of about 2,914,400 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).