Refinería General Lázaro Cárdenas power station — Mexico

Refinería General Lázaro Cárdenas power station is a 104 MW other power station in Veracruz, Mexico. It is operated by Pemex-Transformación Industrial SA de CV. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 78k homes (estimated). It ranks #181 of 366 Mexico power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 408,720 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 95k cars driven for a year. In context, the national grid averages 474 gCO₂/kWh (25.9% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5982.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: Climate TRACE; fuel: Not available

In context: how this plant compares

At 104 MW, Refinería General Lázaro Cárdenas power station is below the median other plant in Mexico (184.3 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. This facility converts its energy source into electricity for the grid; its capacity, fuel type and location determine its role in the national power mix.

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

~408,720 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 Mexico other capacity

8.3% of 1,252 MW across 6 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 other plants in Mexico

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

Owner

Operated by Pemex-Transformación Industrial SA de CV. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This other plant generates electricity for the grid. It sits in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 18.0°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 #5 largest other power plant of 6 in Mexico by capacity.

Mexico has 6 other power plants in this dataset, together about 1,252 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Cogeneración Minatitlán power station · Gas · 870 MW · Veracruz
• Complejo Petroquímico Cosoleacaque power station · Gas · 119.2 MW · Veracruz
• CELCSA cogeneration power station · Gas · 104 MW · Veracruz
• Braskem Idesa power station · Gas · 175.6 MW · Veracruz
• Energía Infra cogeneration power station · Gas · 145 MW · Veracruz
• PMV PAJARITOS · Gas · 58.5 MW · Veracruz

Location

Coordinates 17.9837, -94.5333 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions