Riyadh 4 — Saudi Arabia

Riyadh 4 is a 336.6 MW oil power station in Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 253k homes (estimated). It ranks #87 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1978, it is around 48 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 855,090 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 199k 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 WRI1030686.

Data provenance

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

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 336.6 MW, Riyadh 4 is around the median oil plant in Saudi Arabia (364.6 MW). 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.

~855,090 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

0.5% of 61,625 MW across 76 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

1 of 68 dated oil plants in Saudi Arabia is 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 24.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 93% 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: 16/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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

This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #40 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

• Riyadh 3 · Oil · 70 MW · Ar Riyad
• Riyadh 5 power plant · Oil · 606.4 MW · Ar Riyad
• Yamama power plant · Gas · 292.5 MW · Ar Riyad
• Riyadh 8 · Gas · 2,089.8 MW · Ar Riyad
• Riyadh PP11 power station · Gas · 1,805 MW · Ar Riyad
• Riyadh 5 · Oil · 608 MW · Ar Riyad

Location

Coordinates 24.65, 46.671 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions