Tesoro Wilmington Calciner — United States of America

Tesoro Wilmington Calciner is a 34 MW cogeneration power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 191 GWh, it can supply roughly 55k homes. It ranks #4121 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1983, it is around 43 years old — long-established. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010601.

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 34 MW, Tesoro Wilmington Calciner is well above the median cogeneration plant in United States of America (26 MW). This facility converts its energy source into electricity for the grid; its capacity, fuel type and location determine its role in the national power mix.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

64%, from 191 GWh of reported generation; the median for 31 cogeneration plants in United States of America that report generation is 47%

Share of United States of America cogeneration capacity

3.3% of 1,037 MW across 34 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

6 of 34 dated cogeneration plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

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

Owner

Operated by Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This cogeneration plant produces electricity and useful heat together for higher fuel efficiency. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.8°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 78% 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: 21/100 — 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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), 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 #13 largest cogeneration power plant of 34 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 34 cogeneration power plants in this dataset, together about 1,037 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Harbor Cogen · Gas · 107.4 MW · California
• Valero Wilmington Cogeneration Plant · Gas · 33.5 MW · California
• Wilmington Hydrogen Plant · Cogeneration · 31.9 MW · California
• Linde Wilmington · Gas · 31 MW · California
• Long Beach Generation LLC · Gas · 252 MW · California
• THUMS · Gas · 57.4 MW · California

Location

Coordinates 33.777, -118.2282 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions