Valero Refinery Corpus Christi West — United States of America

Valero Refinery Corpus Christi West is a 69.2 MW petcoke power plant in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by Valero Refining Co. Based on reported annual generation of 191 GWh, it can supply roughly 55k homes. It ranks #3276 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1983, it is around 43 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 66,271 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 15k cars driven for a year. 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 USA0050121.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 69.2 MW, Valero Refinery Corpus Christi West is around the median petcoke plant in United States of America (68 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.

~66,271 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Key facts

Load factor

32%, from 191 GWh of reported generation; the median for 11 petcoke plants in United States of America that report generation is 34%

Generation trend

197 GWh in 2013 and 191 GWh in 2019 (−3%)

Highest and lowest year

2014: 216 GWh; 2018: 162 GWh

Share of United States of America petcoke capacity

2.9% of 2,366 MW across 11 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

3 of 11 dated petcoke 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 Valero Refining Co.

Local climate & thermal context

This petcoke plant generates electricity for the grid. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 27.8°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 89% 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: 18/100 — 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 #5 largest petcoke power plant of 11 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 11 petcoke power plants in this dataset, together about 2,366 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Harbor Wind LLC · Wind · 9 MW · Texas
• Corpus Refinery · Gas · 47 MW · Texas
• Corpus Christi Energy Center · Gas · 593.3 MW · Texas
• Nueces Bay · Gas · 730.2 MW · Texas
• Corpus Christi · Gas · 41 MW · Texas
• Papalote Creek I LLC · Wind · 180 MW · Texas

Location

Coordinates 27.8175, -97.4814 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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