Santa Elena II power station — Ecuador

Santa Elena II power station is a 90.1 MW oil power plant in Santa Elena, Ecuador. It is operated by Corporación Nacional de Electricidad EP [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 68k homes (estimated). It ranks #18 of 34 Ecuador power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. In context, oil supplies about 17.9% of Ecuador's electricity; the national grid averages 159 gCO₂/kWh (79.4% low-carbon) (2025).

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

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408630; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 90.1 MW, Santa Elena II power station is around the median oil plant in Ecuador (96 MW). Technically it is described as Engine. 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.

Key facts

Share of Ecuador oil capacity

7.5% of 1,207 MW across 14 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

3 of 8 dated oil plants in Ecuador are 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 Ecuador

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

Owner

Operated by Corporación Nacional de Electricidad EP [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 2.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in an extreme marine/tropical environment (estimated ISO 9223 class CX — Extreme), 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 #8 largest oil power plant of 14 in Ecuador by capacity.

Ecuador has 14 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 1,207 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Bloque CCGN (Ecuador) power station · Gas · 400 MW · Santa Elena
• Electroquil · Gas · 181 MW · Guayas
• Gonzalo Zevallos · Gas · 146 MW · Guayas
• Pascuales power station · Gas · 260 MW · Guayas
• Enrique Garcia thermal power station · Oil · 102 MW · Guayas
• Central Termica Trinitaria · Oil · 133 MW · Guayas

Location

Coordinates -2.242021, -80.846375 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions