Alberta Sundance power station — Canada
Gas power plant in Alberta, Canada. Approximate location 53.507405, -114.559003.
GasAlbertaCanadaCCGT · HRSG
Alberta Sundance power station is a 2,121 MW gas power station in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by TransAlta Corp [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #14 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2021, it is around 5 years old — recently built. In context, gas supplies about 17.8% of Canada's electricity; the national grid averages 191 gCO₂/kWh (77.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_albertasundance_canada.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 535 MW for Alberta Sundance power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,121 MW, Alberta Sundance power station is well above the median gas plant in Canada (170 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Canada gas capacity
- 5.7% of 37,176 MW across 112 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 71 of 88 dated gas plants in Canada are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest gas plants in Canada
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by TransAlta Corp [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 53.5°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 121% 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: 96/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, 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
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 gas power plant of 112 in Canada by capacity.
Canada has 112 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 37,176 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Sundance · Coal · 2,141 MW · Alberta
- Wabamun power station · Coal · 537 MW · Alberta
- Keephills · Coal · 1,253 MW · Alberta
- Genesee · Coal · 1,857 MW · Alberta
- Genesee Data Centre Project power station · Gas · 1,500 MW · Alberta
- Alsike power plant · Gas · 340 MW · Alberta
Location
Coordinates 53.507405, -114.559003 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Alberta Sundance power station?
Alberta Sundance power station is a 2,121 MW gas power plant in Alberta, Canada, commissioned in 2021.
Who operates Alberta Sundance power station?
Alberta Sundance power station is operated by TransAlta Corp [100%].