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Cornaux power station

Gas power plant in Cornaux, Switzerland. Approximate location 47.038673, 7.042353.

GasCornauxSwitzerlandCCGT · HRSG

Cornaux power station is a 43.8 MW gas power plant in Cornaux, Switzerland. It is operated by Group E SA. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 49k homes (estimated). It ranks #61 of 174 Switzerland power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1988, it is around 38 years old — long-established. In context, gas supplies about 0.4% of Switzerland's electricity; the national grid averages 39 gCO₂/kWh (97.7% low-carbon) (2025).

43.8MW installed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
49,331homes powered (est.)
1988commissioned (~38 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityCornaux power station GEM-GOGPT
CountrySwitzerland · Cornaux GEM-GOGPT
Coordinates47.038673, 7.042353 GEM-GOGPT
FuelGas GEM-GOGPT
MW installed capacity43.8 MW GEM · 2026 · L100001023496; operating plant capacity
OwnerGroup E SA GEM-GOGPT
Commissioned1988 GEM-GOGPT
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG GEM-GOGPT

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions69,064 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#61 / 174 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#3 / 3 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent49,331 calculated
Environmental severityC2 · 26/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001023496; 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.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Switzerland

Birr power station: 250 MW250Birr power…Monthey power station: 55 MW55Monthey po…Cornaux power station: 44 MW44Cornaux po…

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

Owner

Operated by Group E SA.

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 47.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season mean
Temperate oceanic: four distinct seasons — cold winters and warm summers

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
26/100environmental-severity index
17.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
341 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 gas power plant of 3 in Switzerland by capacity.

Switzerland has 3 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 349 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 47.038673, 7.042353 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Cornaux power station?

Cornaux power station is a 43.8 MW gas power plant in Cornaux, Switzerland, commissioned in 1988.

How many homes can Cornaux power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 49,331 homes (estimated).

Who operates Cornaux power station?

Cornaux power station is operated by Group E SA.

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