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RTEC1

Gas power plant in Riga, Latvia. Approximate location 56.9904, 24.1788.

GasRigaLatviaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

RTEC1 is a 138 MW gas power station in Riga, Latvia. It is operated by Latvenergo AS [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 155k homes (estimated). It ranks #6 of 7 Latvia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2005, it is around 21 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 154,079 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 36k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 26.2% of Latvia's electricity; the national grid averages 139 gCO₂/kWh (73.0% low-carbon) (2025).

138Legacy source-record capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
155,427homes powered (est.)
154,079t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
2005commissioned (~21 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022440.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRTEC1 WRI
CountryLatvia · Riga WRI
Coordinates56.9904, 24.1788 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity138 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerLatvenergo AS [100%] WRI
Commissioned2005 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
CO₂ emissions154,079 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#6 of 7 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 3 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent155,427 calculated
Climate6.4°C · HDD 4,228 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 32/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

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

Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

154,079 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

36kpassenger cars driven for a year
20khomes' yearly energy use
2.6 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Latvia

Riga Tec 2: 881 MW881Riga Tec 2RTEC1: 138 MW138RTEC1Imanta power station: 48 MW48Imanta pow…

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

Owner

Operated by Latvenergo AS [100%].

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 warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 57.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

6.4°Cannual mean temp
4,228heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
11 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -4 °CJF: -4 °CFM: 0 °CMA: 6 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 12 °CSO: 7 °CON: 2 °CND: -2 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 72% above 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: 87/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% 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 a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
21.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
29 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 #2 largest gas power plant of 3 in Latvia by capacity.

Latvia has 3 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 1,067 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 56.9904, 24.1788 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is RTEC1?

RTEC1 is a 138 MW source-record gas power plant in Riga, Latvia, commissioned in 2005.

How many homes can RTEC1 power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 155,427 homes (estimated).

Who operates RTEC1?

RTEC1 is operated by Latvenergo AS [100%].

How much CO₂ does RTEC1 emit?

RTEC1 has measured emissions of about 154,079 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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