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Pego power station

Coal power plant in Santarem, Portugal. Approximate location 39.468, -8.1097.

CoalSantaremPortugalsubcritical

Pego power station is a 682 MW coal power station in Santarem, Portugal. It is operated by Tejo Energia SA. Based on reported annual generation of 4,188 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.2 million homes. It ranks #7 of 480 Portugal power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 0.0% of Portugal's electricity; the national grid averages 128 gCO₂/kWh (81.0% low-carbon) (2025).

682Legacy source-record capacity
4,188GWh reported / yr
1,196,514homes powered
1994commissioned (~32 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023234.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPego power station WRI
CountryPortugal · Santarem WRI
Coordinates39.468, -8.1097 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity682 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTejo Energia SA WRI
Commissioned1994 WRI
Technologysubcritical WRI
GWh reported / yr4,188 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions4,187,800 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#7 of 480 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 2 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,196,514 calculated from reported generation
Climate16.2°C · HDD 1,135 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

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.

Reported generation trend

2015: 4,013 GWh20152016: 3,615 GWh20162017: 4,188 GWh20174k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Tejo Energia SA.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.2°Cannual mean temp
1,135heating degree-days (base 18°C)
507cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
141 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 10 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 14 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 21 °CSO: 17 °CON: 13 °CND: 11 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 54% 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.

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
13.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
107 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 #2 largest coal power plant of 2 in Portugal by capacity.

Portugal has 2 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 1,978 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 39.468, -8.1097 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Pego power station?

Pego power station is a 682 MW source-record coal power plant in Santarem, Portugal, commissioned in 1994.

How much electricity does Pego power station generate?

Pego power station generates about 4,188 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Pego power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,196,514 homes.

Who operates Pego power station?

Pego power station is operated by Tejo Energia SA.

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