Ortitlán — Guatemala
Geothermal power plant in Escuintla, Guatemala. Approximate location 14.41, -90.607.
GeothermalEscuintlaGuatemala
Ortitlán is a 25.2 MW geothermal power plant in Escuintla, Guatemala. Based on reported annual generation of 137 GWh, it can supply roughly 39k homes. It ranks #45 of 77 Guatemala power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, geothermal supplies about 2.2% 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 WRI1061454.
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
Geothermal plants tap underground heat to raise steam for a turbine; they provide steady, low-carbon baseload but are limited to geologically active regions.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 62%, from 137 GWh of reported generation
- Share of Guatemala geothermal capacity
- 46.8% of 54 MW across 2 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest geothermal plants in Guatemala
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This geothermal plant taps underground heat to raise steam that drives a turbine. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 14.4°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 #2 largest geothermal power plant of 2 in Guatemala by capacity.
Guatemala has 2 geothermal power plants in this dataset, together about 54 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Laguna Gas 1 · Oil · 17 MW · Guatemala Department
- Laguna Gas 2 · Oil · 26 MW · Guatemala Department
- Electrogeneracion · Oil · 15.8 MW · Guatemala Department
- Industria Textiles Del Lago · Oil · 70 MW · Guatemala Department
- San Antonio El Sitio · Wind · 48 MW · Escuintla
- Viento Blanco · Wind · 23.1 MW · Escuintla
Location
Coordinates 14.41, -90.607 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Ortitlán?
Ortitlán is a 25.2 MW geothermal power plant in Escuintla, Guatemala, commissioned in 2007.
How much electricity does Ortitlán generate?
Ortitlán generates about 137 GWh of electricity per year.