Zunil — Guatemala
Geothermal power plant in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Approximate location 14.77, -91.505.
GeothermalQuetzaltenangoGuatemala
Zunil is a 28.6 MW geothermal power plant in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Based on reported annual generation of 136 GWh, it can supply roughly 39k homes. It ranks #39 of 77 Guatemala power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1999, it is around 27 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, geothermal supplies about 2.2% of Guatemala's electricity; the national grid averages 301 gCO₂/kWh (68.3% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061453.
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: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Geothermal plants tap underground heat to raise steam for a turbine; they provide steady, low-carbon baseload but are limited to geologically active regions.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 54%, from 136 GWh of reported generation
- Share of Guatemala geothermal capacity
- 53.2% of 54 MW across 2 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest geothermal plants in Guatemala
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This geothermal plant taps underground heat to raise steam that drives a turbine. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 14.8°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 46% 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: 31/100 — 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 a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness 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 #1 largest geothermal power plant of 2 in Guatemala by capacity.
Guatemala has 2 geothermal power plants in this dataset, together about 54 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Santa Maria · Hydro · 6 MW · Suchitepeque
- El Canada · Hydro · 48.1 MW · Suchitepeque
- Monte Cristo · Hydro · 13.5 MW · Suchitepeque
- El Recreo · Hydro · 26 MW · Quetzaltenango
- El Manantial · Hydro · 3.8 MW · Quetzaltenango
- El Pilar · Biomass · 33.4 MW · Suchitepeque
Location
Coordinates 14.77, -91.505 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Zunil?
Zunil is a 28.6 MW geothermal power plant in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, commissioned in 1999.
How much electricity does Zunil generate?
Zunil generates about 136 GWh of electricity per year.