Cockenzie power station — United Kingdom
Coal power plant in , United Kingdom. Approximate location 55.967518, -2.967042.
CoalUnited Kingdomsubcritical
Cockenzie power station is a 2,456 MW coal power station in , United Kingdom. It is operated by ScottishPower Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.1 million homes (estimated). It ranks #6 of 2,860 United Kingdom power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1967, it is around 59 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 0.1% of United Kingdom's electricity; the national grid averages 217 gCO₂/kWh (64.4% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_cockenzie_unite.
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 2,456 MW, Cockenzie power station is well above the median coal plant in United Kingdom (1,140 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 United Kingdom coal capacity
- 6.9% of 35,428 MW across 23 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 6 of 22 dated coal plants in United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by ScottishPower Ltd [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 56.0°N — 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).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness 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 #3 largest coal power plant of 23 in United Kingdom by capacity.
United Kingdom has 23 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 35,428 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Millerhill AD (Waste AD) · Biomass · 1.5 MW · Scotland
- Drummond Moor Landfill · Waste · 2 MW · Scotland
- Pure Malt Products AD · Biomass · 1.5 MW · Scotland
- Bonnyrigg · Waste · 2.2 MW · Scotland
- Pogbie Wind Farm 2 · Wind · 4.8 MW · Scotland
- Oatslie Landfill Gas · Waste · 2 MW · Scotland
Location
Coordinates 55.967518, -2.967042 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Cockenzie power station?
Cockenzie power station is a 2,456 MW coal power plant in , United Kingdom, commissioned in 1967.
Who operates Cockenzie power station?
Cockenzie power station is operated by ScottishPower Ltd [100%].