Ourique is a 62 MW solar power plant in Beja, Portugal. It is operated by Aquila Capital [50%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 26k homes (estimated). It ranks #40 of 480 Portugal power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 17.3% of Portugal's electricity; the national grid averages 128 gCO₂/kWh (81.0% low-carbon) (2025).

62MW installed capacity
26,380homes powered (est.)
2019commissioned (~7 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WKS0066183.

Data status

Known data

FacilityOurique WRI
CountryPortugal · Beja WRI
Coordinates37.665, -8.192 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity62 MW GEM · 2026 · L100000824187; operating plant capacity
Verification noteQuality label backfilled from existing source-backed capacity provenance on 2026-07-05; capacity value was not changed. source-verified
OwnerAquila Capital [50%] WRI
Commissioned2019 WRI
TechnologyPV WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#40 / 480 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 / 72 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers26.96× · 2.3 MW · n=72 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent26,380 calculated
Climate16.3°C · HDD 1,159 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 40/100 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.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 62 MW for Ourique solar farm, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000824187; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 62 MW, Ourique is well above the median solar plant in Portugal (2.3 MW). Technically it is described as PV. Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.

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

Key facts

Share of Portugal solar capacity
9.7% of 642 MW across 72 plants in this dataset
Age among peers
63 of 65 dated solar plants in Portugal are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest solar plants in Portugal

Solara4: 219 MW219Solara4Ourique: 62 MW62OuriqueAmareleja: 46 MW46AmarelejaVale de Moura: 29 MW29Vale de Mo…Avalades: 16 MW16AvaladesMontijo: 13 MW13MontijoCabrela: 13 MW13CabrelaCanha/Alpenduradas: 12 MW12Canha/Alpe…

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

Owner

Operated by Aquila Capital [50%].

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.3°Cannual mean temp
1,159heating degree-days (base 18°C)
542cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
256 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 10 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 14 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 22 °CSO: 17 °CON: 14 °CND: 11 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 53% below 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: 28/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).

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 marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
40/100environmental-severity index
13.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
34 kmdistance to coast

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 solar power plant of 72 in Portugal by capacity.

Portugal has 72 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 642 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 37.665, -8.192 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Ourique?

Ourique is a 62 MW solar power plant in Beja, Portugal, commissioned in 2019.

Who operates Ourique?

Ourique is operated by Aquila Capital [50%].

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