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Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant

Biomass power plant in Arkansas, United States of America. Approximate location 34.5136, -91.5331.

BiomassArkansasUnited States of America

Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant is a 18 MW biomass power plant in Arkansas, United States of America. It is operated by Riceland Foods Inc.. Based on reported annual generation of 22 GWh, it can supply roughly 6.4k homes. It ranks #4998 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1997, it is around 29 years old — long-established. In context, biomass supplies about 1.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

18Legacy source-record capacity
22GWh reported / yr
6,371homes powered
1997commissioned (~29 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056079.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRiceland Foods Cogeneration Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Arkansas WRI
Coordinates34.5136, -91.5331 WRI
FuelBiomass WRI
MW installed capacity18 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerRiceland Foods Inc. WRI
Commissioned1997 WRI
GWh reported / yr22 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4998 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#88 of 184 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.01× · 18 MW median · 184 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent6,371 calculated from reported generation
Climate16.6°C · HDD 1,543 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 37/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsNot 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 18 MW, Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant is around the median biomass plant in United States of America (18 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 39 GWh20132014: 31 GWh20142015: 15 GWh20152016: 43 GWh20162017: 33 GWh20172018: 20 GWh20182019: 22 GWh201943 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Riceland Foods Inc..

Local climate & thermal context

This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.6°Cannual mean temp
1,543heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,067cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
60 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 4 °CJF: 7 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 21 °CMJ: 26 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 23 °CSO: 18 °CON: 11 °CND: 7 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 37% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 35/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

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 a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
37/100environmental-severity index
23.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
541 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 #88 largest biomass power plant of 184 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 184 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 6,324 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 34.5136, -91.5331 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant?

Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant is a 18 MW source-record biomass power plant in Arkansas, United States of America, commissioned in 1997.

How much electricity does Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant generate?

Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant generates about 22 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 6,371 homes.

Who operates Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant?

Riceland Foods Cogeneration Plant is operated by Riceland Foods Inc..

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