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Botlek Refinery power station

Gas power plant in South Holland, Netherlands. Approximate location 51.8741, 4.2957.

GasSouth HollandNetherlandsCCGT · HRSGCO₂ modelled

Botlek Refinery power station is a 49 MW gas power plant in South Holland, Netherlands. It is operated by Esso Nederland BV. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 55k homes (estimated). It ranks #63 of 119 Netherlands power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1991, it is around 35 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 52,153 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 12k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 34.9% of Netherlands's electricity; the national grid averages 254 gCO₂/kWh (54.2% low-carbon) (2025).

49Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
55,188homes powered (est.)
52,153t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1991commissioned (~35 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-347.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBotlek Refinery power station Climate TRACE
CountryNetherlands · South Holland Climate TRACE
Coordinates51.8741, 4.2957 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity49 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEsso Nederland BV Climate TRACE
Commissioned1991 Climate TRACE
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions52,153 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#63 of 119 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#37 of 42 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.41× · 120 MW median · 42 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent55,188 calculated
Climate9.9°C · HDD 2,944 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 32/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is a source-verified 2026 capacity claim: 49 MW for Botlek Refinery power station.

Source: GEM tracker raw 2026. Scope: operating/nameplate; source-backed GEM tracker 2026 plant record. Confidence: high_source_row_verified_strict.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000400498); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 49 MW, Botlek Refinery power station is below the median gas plant in Netherlands (120 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.

~52,153 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

12kpassenger cars driven for a year
6.8khomes' yearly energy use
869ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Netherlands

Eems: 1,931 MW2kEemsClaus power station: 1,304 MW1kClaus powe…Magnum: 1,290 MW1kMagnumFLEVO: 999 MW999FLEVOMaxima: 880 MW880MaximaSloe: 870 MW870SloeEnecogen power station: 870 MW870Enecogen p…Bergum power station: 808 MW808Bergum pow…

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

Owner

Operated by Esso Nederland BV.

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 51.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.9°Cannual mean temp
2,944heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
-1 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 3 °CJF: 3 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 11 °CON: 7 °CND: 4 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 20% 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: 61/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
14.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
40 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 #37 largest gas power plant of 42 in Netherlands by capacity.

Netherlands has 42 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 14,954 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 51.8741, 4.2957 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Botlek Refinery power station?

Botlek Refinery power station is a 49 MW source-record gas power plant in South Holland, Netherlands, commissioned in 1991.

How many homes can Botlek Refinery power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 55,188 homes (estimated).

Who operates Botlek Refinery power station?

Botlek Refinery power station is operated by Esso Nederland BV.

How much CO₂ does Botlek Refinery power station emit?

Botlek Refinery power station has modelled emissions of about 52,153 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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