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SOUTELO 2

Hydro power plant in Galicia, Spain. Approximate location 42.1543, -7.1887.

HydroGaliciaSpainpumped storage

SOUTELO 2 is a 214 MW hydro power station in Galicia, Spain. It is operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A.. Based on reported annual generation of 59 GWh, it can supply roughly 17k homes. It ranks #94 of 899 Spain power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 11.4% of Spain's electricity; the national grid averages 154 gCO₂/kWh (74.6% low-carbon) (2025).

214Source-backed capacity
59GWh reported / yr
16,971homes powered
1994commissioned (~32 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1007945.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySOUTELO 2 WRI
CountrySpain · Galicia WRI
Coordinates42.1543, -7.1887 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity214 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerIBERDROLA GENERACION S.A. WRI
Commissioned1994 WRI
Technologypumped storage WRI
GWh reported / yr59 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#94 of 899 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#21 of 124 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.87× · 55 MW median · 124 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent16,971 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.0°C · HDD 2,918 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 24/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000603388); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 214 MW, SOUTELO 2 is well above the median hydro plant in Spain (55 MW). Technically it is described as pumped storage. 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.

Reported generation trend

2015: 131 GWh20152016: 154 GWh20162017: 59 GWh2017154 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A.. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.0°Cannual mean temp
2,918heating degree-days (base 18°C)
25cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,049 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 3 °CJF: 4 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 11 °CON: 6 °CND: 4 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 19% 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: 60/100 — 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
24/100environmental-severity index
15.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
164 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 #21 largest hydro power plant of 124 in Spain by capacity.

Spain has 124 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 15,680 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 42.1543, -7.1887 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is SOUTELO 2?

SOUTELO 2 is a 214 MW source-record hydro power plant in Galicia, Spain, commissioned in 1994.

How much electricity does SOUTELO 2 generate?

SOUTELO 2 generates about 59 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can SOUTELO 2 power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 16,971 homes.

Who operates SOUTELO 2?

SOUTELO 2 is operated by IBERDROLA GENERACION S.A..

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