Cheongju CHP plant — South Korea

Cheongju CHP plant is a 58.3 MW oil power plant in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea District Heating Corp. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 44k homes (estimated). It ranks #147 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2001, it is around 25 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 18,964 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 4.4k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 1.0% of South Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 417 gCO₂/kWh (40.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5481.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408493; fuel: GEM wiki unit-level operating Fuel(s), fetched 2026-07-05

In context: how this plant compares

At 58.3 MW, Cheongju CHP plant is below the median oil plant in South Korea (228 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

~18,964 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

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

Key facts

Share of South Korea oil capacity

1.2% of 4,708 MW across 5 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

2 of 5 dated oil plants in South Korea are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest oil plants in South Korea

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

Owner

Operated by Korea District Heating Corp. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.6°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 25% 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: 64/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 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 #4 largest oil power plant of 5 in South Korea by capacity.

South Korea has 5 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 4,708 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Smart Energy Center (Cheongju) power station · Gas · 585 MW · Chungcheongbuk-do
• Daecheong · Hydro · 90 MW · Daejeon
• Shinsejong power station · Gas · 630 MW · Daejeon
• Janggun Cogeneration power station · Biomass · 5 MW · Chungcheongnam-do
• Sejong · Hydro · 2.3 MW · Daejeon
• Sejong City · Gas · 530 MW · Chungcheongnam-do

Location

Coordinates 36.605, 127.4432 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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