Velilla del Río Carrión power station is a 515.6 MW coal power station in Palencia, Spain. It is operated by Iberdrola SA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 645k homes (estimated). It ranks #59 of 899 Spain power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1964, it is around 62 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 0.3% of Spain's electricity; the national grid averages 154 gCO₂/kWh (74.6% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_velilladelriocarrion_spain.
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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 515.6 MW, Velilla del Río Carrión power station is around the median coal plant in Spain (515.6 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Spain coal capacity
- 4.2% of 12,360 MW across 24 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 0 of 23 dated coal plants in Spain are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Spain
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Iberdrola SA [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.8°N — 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 a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine 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 #12 largest coal power plant of 24 in Spain by capacity.
Spain has 24 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 12,360 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- CT GUARDO 2 · Coal · 485.9 MW · Castille and Leon
- PLANTA DDP GUARDO · Waste · 14.7 MW · Castille and Leon
- LA REMOLINA GR 1 · Hydro · 83.2 MW · Castille and Leon
- C.H. SAHECHORES · Hydro · 20.2 MW · Castille and Leon
- AMPLIACION DEL PICAL · Wind · 11.1 MW · Castille and Leon
- PENA DE BEJO · Hydro · 20.8 MW · Cantabria
Location
Coordinates 42.818529, -4.8547 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Velilla del Río Carrión power station?
Velilla del Río Carrión power station is a 515.6 MW coal power plant in Palencia, Spain, commissioned in 1964.
Who operates Velilla del Río Carrión power station?
Velilla del Río Carrión power station is operated by Iberdrola SA [100%].