Refinación Paraguaná RA power station — Venezuela
Coal power plant in Falcón, Venezuela. Approximate location 11.76, -70.184.
CoalFalcónVenezuelasubcritical
Refinación Paraguaná RA power station is a 300 MW coal power station in Falcón, Venezuela. It is operated by Petróleos de Venezuela SA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 375k homes (estimated). It ranks #33 of 59 Venezuela power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 0.0% of Venezuela's electricity; the national grid averages 86 gCO₂/kWh (91.1% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_refinacionparaguanar_venez.
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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 300 MW, Refinación Paraguaná RA power station is around the median coal plant in Venezuela (300 MW). 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.
Key facts
- Share of Venezuela coal capacity
- 10.7% of 2,800 MW across 5 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 coal plants in Venezuela
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Petróleos de Venezuela SA [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 11.8°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 #4 largest coal power plant of 5 in Venezuela by capacity.
Venezuela has 5 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 2,800 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Josefa Camejo · Gas · 450 MW · Falcon
- Planta Camejo · Gas · 61 MW · Falcon
- Punto Fijo · Gas · 199 MW · Falcon
- Genevapca power station · Gas · 315 MW · Falcón
- Planta Coro · Gas · 101 MW · Falcon
- RECIP power plant · Gas · 102 MW · Oranjestad
Location
Coordinates 11.76, -70.184 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Refinación Paraguaná RA power station?
Refinación Paraguaná RA power station is a 300 MW coal power plant in Falcón, Venezuela.
Who operates Refinación Paraguaná RA power station?
Refinación Paraguaná RA power station is operated by Petróleos de Venezuela SA [100%].