Chongjin City power station — North Korea

Chongjin City power station is a 450 MW coal power station in Hamgyong-bukto, North Korea. It is operated by Ministry of Electric Power. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 563k homes (estimated). It ranks #8 of 36 North Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1987, it is around 39 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 34.1% of North Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 341 gCO₂/kWh (63.4% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1019823.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 150 MW for Chongjin City power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103103; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 450 MW, Chongjin City power station is well above the median coal plant in North Korea (200 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. 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 North Korea coal capacity

7.3% of 6,203 MW across 18 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

5 of 8 dated coal plants in North 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 coal plants in North Korea

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

Owner

Operated by Ministry of Electric Power.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a monsoon warm-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 41.8°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 59% 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: 83/100 — 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion 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 18 in North Korea by capacity.

North Korea has 18 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 6,203 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Rajin · Coal · 400 MW · Hamgyong-bukto
• Chongjin Chemical Fiber · Coal · 6 MW · Hamgyong-bukto
• The 5th Puryong · Hydro · 36 MW · Hamgyong-bukto
• The March 17th  Power Plant · Hydro · 482 MW · Hamgyong-bukto
• The June 16th Power Plant · Coal · 200 MW · Rason
• Jilin Yanji City power station · Biomass · 15 MW · Jilin Sheng

Location

Coordinates 41.7633, 129.7502 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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