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Matucana

Hydro power plant in Lima, Peru. Approximate location -11.8865, -76.4556.

HydroLimaPerurun-of-river

Matucana is a 120 MW hydro power station in Lima, Peru. It is operated by Edegel S.A.A.. Based on reported annual generation of 891 GWh, it can supply roughly 255k homes. It ranks #25 of 40 Peru power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1972, it is around 54 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 56.1% of Peru's electricity; the national grid averages 238 gCO₂/kWh (63.6% low-carbon) (2025).

120Source-backed capacity
891GWh reported / yr
254,571homes powered
1972commissioned (~54 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022058.

Data status

Known data

FacilityMatucana WRI
CountryPeru · Lima WRI
Coordinates-11.8865, -76.4556 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity120 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEdegel S.A.A. WRI
Commissioned1972 WRI
Technologyrun-of-river WRI
GWh reported / yr891 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#25 of 40 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#10 of 14 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.79× · 152 MW median · 14 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent254,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate7.6°C · HDD 3,794 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 17/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 L100000603104); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 120 MW, Matucana is below the median hydro plant in Peru (152 MW). Technically it is described as run-of-river. 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.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Peru

Antunez de Mayolo (Mantaro): 798 MW798Antunez de…Huinco: 258 MW258HuincoCaÑon del Pato: 247 MW247CaÑon del …El Platanal: 220 MW220El PlatanalRestitucion: 210 MW210RestitucionMacchu Picchu: 190 MW190Macchu Pic…Chimay: 152 MW152ChimayCharcani V: 146 MW146Charcani V

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

Owner

Operated by Edegel S.A.A..

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a polar tundra climate (Köppen ET) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 11.9°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

7.6°Cannual mean temp
3,794heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
3,538 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 9 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 9 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 7 °CMJ: 6 °CJJ: 5 °CJA: 6 °CAS: 7 °CSO: 8 °CON: 8 °CND: 9 °CD9 °C

Heating degree-days here run 54% above 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: 81/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with heat / UV the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
17/100environmental-severity index
3.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
102 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 #10 largest hydro power plant of 14 in Peru by capacity.

Peru has 14 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 2,748 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -11.8865, -76.4556 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Matucana?

Matucana is a 120 MW source-record hydro power plant in Lima, Peru, commissioned in 1972.

How much electricity does Matucana generate?

Matucana generates about 891 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Matucana power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 254,571 homes.

Who operates Matucana?

Matucana is operated by Edegel S.A.A..

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