Home / South America / Bolivia / Yunchara

Yunchara

Solar power plant in Tarija, Bolivia. Approximate location -21.83, -65.23.

SolarTarijaBoliviaPV

Yunchara is a 6 MW solar power plant in Tarija, Bolivia. It is operated by Bolivian National Electricity CO (ENDE) [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.4k homes (estimated). It ranks #29 of 30 Bolivia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2018, it is around 8 years old — recently built. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 2.9% of Bolivia's electricity; the national grid averages 481 gCO₂/kWh (36.1% low-carbon) (2025).

6Legacy source-record capacity
2,382homes powered (est.)
2018commissioned (~8 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WKS0067804.

Data status

Known data

FacilityYunchara WRI
CountryBolivia · Tarija WRI
Coordinates-21.83, -65.23 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity6 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerBolivian National Electricity CO (ENDE) [100%] WRI
Commissioned2018 WRI
TechnologyPV WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#29 of 30 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 3 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,382 calculated
Climate10.1°C · HDD 2,901 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 29/100 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

Technically it is described as PV. Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.

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

Capacity vs largest solar plants in Bolivia

Uyuni Colcha K: 50 MW50Uyuni Colc…Yunchara: 6 MW6YuncharaCobija: 5 MW5Cobija

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

Owner

Operated by Bolivian National Electricity CO (ENDE) [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 21.8°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.1°Cannual mean temp
2,901heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
3,826 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 13 °CJF: 12 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 8 °CMJ: 5 °CJJ: 5 °CJA: 7 °CAS: 10 °CSO: 12 °CON: 13 °CND: 13 °CD13 °C

Heating degree-days here run 18% 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.

Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).

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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
29/100environmental-severity index
8.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
518 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 #2 largest solar power plant of 3 in Bolivia by capacity.

Bolivia has 3 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 61 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -21.83, -65.23 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Yunchara?

Yunchara is a 6 MW source-record solar power plant in Tarija, Bolivia, commissioned in 2018.

How many homes can Yunchara power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,382 homes (estimated).

Who operates Yunchara?

Yunchara is operated by Bolivian National Electricity CO (ENDE) [100%].

Built from open public data; no personal information. Operate this site? Request a correction or removal.