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Rafael Urdaneta

Gas power plant in Zulia, Venezuela. Approximate location 10.6317, -71.6406.

GasZuliaVenezuela

Rafael Urdaneta is a 224 MW gas power station in Zulia, Venezuela. Based on reported annual generation of 374 GWh, it can supply roughly 107k homes. It ranks #37 of 59 Venezuela power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 4.5% of Venezuela's electricity; the national grid averages 86 gCO₂/kWh (91.1% low-carbon) (2024).

224Legacy source-record capacity
374GWh reported / yr
106,857homes powered

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1018671.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRafael Urdaneta WRI
CountryVenezuela · Zulia WRI
Coordinates10.6317, -71.6406 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity224 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
GWh reported / yr374 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions149,600 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#37 of 59 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#25 of 44 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.75× · 300 MW median · 44 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent106,857 calculated from reported generation
Climate27.9°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 49/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

OwnerNot available not in dataset
CommissionedNot available not in dataset
TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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

At 224 MW, Rafael Urdaneta is below the median gas plant in Venezuela (300 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.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Venezuela

Planta Centro: 2,000 MW2kPlanta Cen…Ricardo Zuloaga (Tacoa) Thermal Power Plant Venezuela: 1,720 MW2kRicardo Zu…Josefa Joaquina Sanchez: 1,586 MW2kJosefa Joa…Termozulia: 1,300 MW1kTermozuliaJuan Manuel Valdez power station: 700 MW700Juan Manue…Ramon Laguna: 660 MW660Ramon Lagu…José María España power station: 500 MW500José María…Don Luis Zambrano power plant: 470 MW470Don Luis Z…

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

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 tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 10.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

27.9°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,615cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
24 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 27 °CJF: 27 °CFM: 27 °CMA: 28 °CAM: 28 °CMJ: 29 °CJJ: 29 °CJA: 29 °CAS: 28 °CSO: 28 °CON: 28 °CND: 27 °CD29 °C

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 ~9% 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

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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
49/100environmental-severity index
2.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
30 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 #25 largest gas power plant of 44 in Venezuela by capacity.

Venezuela has 44 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 16,840 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 10.6317, -71.6406 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Rafael Urdaneta?

Rafael Urdaneta is a 224 MW source-record gas power plant in Zulia, Venezuela.

How much electricity does Rafael Urdaneta generate?

Rafael Urdaneta generates about 374 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Rafael Urdaneta power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 106,857 homes.

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