RABIGH — Saudi Arabia

RABIGH is a 4,480 MW oil power station in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #3 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2010, it is around 16 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 19,711,000 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 4.6 million cars driven for a year. 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 WRI1030697.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408239; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 4,480 MW, RABIGH is well above the median oil plant in Saudi Arabia (364.6 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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.

~19,711,000 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 oil capacity

7.3% of 61,625 MW across 76 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

35 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 Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). All plants by this 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 #2 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

• RABIGH-2 · Oil · 2,800 MW · Makkah
• Rabigh 2 IPP power station · Gas · 2,059.5 MW · Makkah
• RABEC P/P · Oil · 1,204 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 22.66, 39.033 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions