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Binga power station

Coal power plant in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. Approximate location -17.616667, 27.333.

CoalMatabeleland NorthZimbabweultra-supercritical

Binga power station is a 2,100 MW coal power station in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. It is operated by PER Lusulu Power [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.6 million homes (estimated). It ranks #2 of 25 Zimbabwe power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 42.9% of Zimbabwe's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (57.1% low-carbon) (2024).

2,100MW installed capacity
2,628,000homes powered (est.)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityBinga power station GEM-coal
CountryZimbabwe · Matabeleland North GEM-coal
Coordinates-17.616667, 27.333 GEM-coal
FuelCoal GEM-coal
MW installed capacity2,100 MW GEM GCPT; source record
OwnerPER Lusulu Power [100%] GEM-coal
Technologyultra-supercritical GEM-coal

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions9,198,000 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#2 / 25 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 / 21 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.50× · 600 MW · n=21 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,628,000 calculated
Environmental severityC1 · 41/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

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: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 2,100 MW, Binga power station is well above the median coal plant in Zimbabwe (600 MW). Technically it is described as ultra-supercritical. 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.

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Zimbabwe

Sengwa power station: 2,800 MW3kSengwa pow…Binga power station: 2,100 MW2kBinga powe…Gwayi power station (Shanghai): 1,200 MW1kGwayi powe…Prestige power station: 1,200 MW1kPrestige p…Zimbabwe power station: 1,200 MW1kZimbabwe p…Hwange Coal Power Plant Zimbabwe: 920 MW920Hwange Coa…ZhongXin power station: 920 MW920ZhongXin p…Gweru power station: 720 MW720Gweru powe…

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

Owner

Operated by PER Lusulu Power [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 hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 17.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~23°Ctypical annual mean
~31°Ctypical warm-season mean
Hot semi-arid steppe: warm all year, with distinct wet and dry seasons

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

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)
41/100environmental-severity index
9.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
833 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 coal power plant of 21 in Zimbabwe by capacity.

Zimbabwe has 21 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 15,630 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -17.616667, 27.333 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Binga power station?

Binga power station is a 2,100 MW coal power plant in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.

How many homes can Binga power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,628,000 homes (estimated).

Who operates Binga power station?

Binga power station is operated by PER Lusulu Power [100%].

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