Pampa Sul power station — Brazil

Pampa Sul power station is a 345 MW coal power station in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is operated by Usina Termelétrica Pampa Sul SA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 432k homes (estimated). It ranks #137 of 2,572 Brazil power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. Its modelled annual emissions are 2,545,550 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 593k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 2.3% of Brazil's electricity; the national grid averages 110 gCO₂/kWh (88.7% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5506.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000100128; fuel: Climate TRACE

In context: how this plant compares

At 345 MW, Pampa Sul power station is well above the median coal plant in Brazil (262 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

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

~2,545,550 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 Brazil coal capacity

3.6% of 9,486 MW across 30 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

20 of 22 dated coal plants in Brazil are older

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

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Brazil

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

Owner

Operated by Usina Termelétrica Pampa Sul SA.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 31.5°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 77% 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: 21/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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

This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), 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 #13 largest coal power plant of 30 in Brazil by capacity.

Brazil has 30 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 9,486 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Piratini power station · Biomass · 10 MW · Rio Grande do Sul
• Presidente Médici Candiota power station · Coal · 796 MW · Rio Grande do Sul
• Presidente Médici A B · Coal · 446 MW · Rio Grande do Sul
• Candiota III · Coal · 350 MW · Rio Grande do Sul
• Nova Seival power station · Coal · 726 MW · Rio Grande do Sul
• Marfrig Bagé · Oil · 3.2 MW · Rio Grande do Sul

Location

Coordinates -31.4506, -53.7769 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions