Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica
Hydro power plant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Approximate location 10.4645, -85.1034.
HydroGuanacasteCosta Rica
Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica is a 32 MW hydro power plant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 32k homes (estimated). It ranks #16 of 27 Costa Rica power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 74.8% of Costa Rica's electricity; the national grid averages 24 gCO₂/kWh (100.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0005262.
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
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001054674; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 32 MW, Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica is below the median hydro plant in Costa Rica (50 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Costa Rica hydro capacity
- 2.6% of 1,254 MW across 18 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 hydro plants in Costa Rica
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 10.5°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 a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness 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 #11 largest hydro power plant of 18 in Costa Rica by capacity.
Costa Rica has 18 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,254 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Corobici (Miguel Pablo Dengo) Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica · Hydro · 174 MW · Guanacaste
- Arenal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica · Hydro · 157.5 MW · Guanacaste
- Miravalles V Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 15.4 MW · Guanacaste
- Miravalles I and II Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 115 MW · Guanacaste
- Boca de Pozo Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 5 MW · Guanacaste
- Miravalles III Geothermal Power Plant Costa Rica · Geothermal · 27.5 MW · Guanacaste
Location
Coordinates 10.4645, -85.1034 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica?
Sandillal Hydroelectric Power Plant Costa Rica is a 32 MW hydro power plant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.