Bow City power station — Canada
Coal power plant in Alberta, Canada. Approximate location 50.564167, -111.898889.
CoalAlbertaCanadasupercritical
Bow City power station is a 1,000 MW coal power station in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Bow City Power [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #42 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 4.1% 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 GEM_coa_bowcity_canad.
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: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,000 MW, Bow City power station is well above the median coal plant in Canada (540 MW). Technically it is described as 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.
Key facts
- Share of Canada coal capacity
- 7.0% of 14,386 MW across 20 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 coal plants in Canada
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Bow City Power [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.6°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 99% 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: 93/100 — this site sits in the top 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #5 largest coal power plant of 20 in Canada by capacity.
Canada has 20 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 14,386 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Brooks · Solar · 13 MW · Alberta
- Bassano · Solar · 2 MW · Alberta
- Green Acres · Solar · 2 MW · Alberta
- Blackspring Ridge · Wind · 298.8 MW · Alberta
- Wintering Hills · Wind · 88 MW · Alberta
- Taber · Wind · 81 MW · Alberta
Location
Coordinates 50.564167, -111.898889 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Bow City power station?
Bow City power station is a 1,000 MW coal power plant in Alberta, Canada.
Who operates Bow City power station?
Bow City power station is operated by Bow City Power [100%].