Manchester — Jamaica

Manchester is a 38.7 MW wind power plant in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. It is operated by Wigton Wind Farm Ltd.. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 33k homes (estimated). It ranks #9 of 13 Jamaica power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 5.9% of Jamaica's electricity; the national grid averages 563 gCO₂/kWh (12.6% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023922.

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

Technically it is described as Onshore. Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

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

Owner

Operated by Wigton Wind Farm Ltd..

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 17.9°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

Jamaica has 1 wind power plant in this dataset, together about 39 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Nain power station · Coal · 1,000 MW · Saint Elizabeth
• Content · Solar · 20 MW · Clarendon
• Jamalco power station · Gas · 150 MW · Clarendon
• Maggotty Hydro · Hydro · 6.4 MW · St. Elizabeth
• Old Harbour · Oil · 347.5 MW · Saint Catherine
• Rusal power station · Coal · 90 MW · Saint Catherine

Location

Coordinates 17.9193, -77.5343 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions