Chinsali power station is a 1,200 MW gas power station in Chinsali, Zambia. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 27 Zambia power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 0.0% of Zambia's electricity; the national grid averages 120 gCO₂/kWh (87.5% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_chinsali_zambia.
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 GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
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.
Climate zone & how it works
This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a humid subtropical (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwa) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 10.5°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
How it compares & nearby plants
Zambia has 1 gas power plant in this dataset, together about 1,200 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Amsons-Exergy Zambia thermal power station · Coal · 300 MW · Northern
Location
Coordinates -10.538525, 32.073014 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Chinsali power station?
Chinsali power station is a 1,200 MW gas power plant in Chinsali, Zambia.