Rabigh 2 IPP power station — Saudi Arabia

Rabigh 2 IPP power station is a 2,059.5 MW gas power station in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Al-Mourjan for Electricity Production Co. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #22 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 4,986,300 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 1.2 million cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 63.3% of Saudi Arabia's electricity; the national grid averages 692 gCO₂/kWh (2.2% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-6417.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000401075; fuel: GEM wiki unit-level operating Fuel(s), fetched 2026-07-05

In context: how this plant compares

At 2,059.5 MW, Rabigh 2 IPP power station is well above the median gas plant in Saudi Arabia (496.7 MW). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

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

~4,986,300 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 Saudi Arabia gas capacity

2.3% of 89,013 MW across 71 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 gas plants in Saudi Arabia

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

Owner

Operated by Al-Mourjan for Electricity Production Co.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 22.6°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.

A gas turbine here also runs ~10% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, 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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #15 largest gas power plant of 71 in Saudi Arabia by capacity.

Saudi Arabia has 71 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 89,013 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• RABEC P/P · Oil · 1,204 MW · Makkah
• RABIGH · Oil · 4,480 MW · Makkah
• RABIGH-2 · Oil · 2,800 MW · Makkah
• Petro-Rabigh Independent Water Steam and Power Project · Oil · 830 MW · Makkah
• RABIGH IWSPP · Oil · 830 MW · Makkah
• JEDDAH (SWCC) · Oil · 931 MW · Makkah

Location

Coordinates 22.6289, 39.0467 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions