The Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station is the largest geothermal

Geothermal power

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...

 power station in the world, with an installed capacity of , with plans for expansion up to by 2012. The facility is located in south Mexicali

Mexicali

Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...

, Baja California

Baja California

Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...

, in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and is built in five individual units, namely CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4 and CP5.

Cerro Prieto I

The CP1 powerhouse has a total installed capacity of , generated by four units of and one unit of . Units 1 and 2 of this powerhouse was commissioned between 1973, followed by 3 and 4 in 1981.

Cerro Prieto II

The CP2 powerhouse has a total installed capacity of , generated by two units which were commissioned in 1982.

Cerro Prieto III

The CP3 powerhouse has a total installed capacity of , generated by two identical units as CP2, measuring . This powerhouse was commissioned in 1983, a year after the commissioning of CP2.

Cerro Prieto IV

The CP4 station commenced operations in July 2000, and consists of four turbines, each with a capacity of .

Cerro Prieto V

The CP5 station is the newest powerhouse of the Cerro Prieto station. It was proposed in July 2009, with the commencement of constructions in September 2009. CP5 will consist of two units, increasing the total capacity of the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station by .

See also

• List of power stations in Mexico
• List of geothermal power stations
• List of largest power stations in the world