RABIGH IWSPP — Saudi Arabia
Oil power plant in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Approximate location 22.71, 39.021.
OilMakkahSaudi Arabia
RABIGH IWSPP is a 830 MW oil power station in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Rabigh Arabian Water and Electricity Company. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 623k homes (estimated). It ranks #56 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2016, it is around 10 years old — relatively modern. In context, oil supplies about 34.5% 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 WRI1030698.
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
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408229; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 830 MW, RABIGH IWSPP is well above the median oil plant in Saudi Arabia (364.6 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Saudi Arabia oil capacity
- 1.3% of 61,625 MW across 76 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 53 of 68 dated oil plants in Saudi Arabia are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Saudi Arabia
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Rabigh Arabian Water and Electricity Company.
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 22.7°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 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 #24 largest oil power plant of 76 in Saudi Arabia by capacity.
Saudi Arabia has 76 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 61,625 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Petro-Rabigh Independent Water Steam and Power Project · Oil · 830 MW · Makkah
- RABIGH-2 · Oil · 2,800 MW · Makkah
- RABIGH · Oil · 4,480 MW · Makkah
- RABEC P/P · Oil · 1,204 MW · Makkah
- Rabigh 2 IPP power station · Gas · 2,059.5 MW · Makkah
- JEDDAH (SWCC) · Oil · 931 MW · Makkah
Location
Coordinates 22.71, 39.021 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is RABIGH IWSPP?
RABIGH IWSPP is a 830 MW oil power plant in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, commissioned in 2016.
Who operates RABIGH IWSPP?
RABIGH IWSPP is operated by Rabigh Arabian Water and Electricity Company.