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CPI USA NC Southport

Waste power plant in North Carolina, United States of America. Approximate location 33.9444, -78.0118.

WasteNorth CarolinaUnited States of America

CPI USA NC Southport is a 135 MW waste power station in North Carolina, United States of America. It is operated by CPI USA NC Southport LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 458 GWh, it can supply roughly 131k homes. It ranks #2447 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1987, it is around 39 years old — long-established. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

135Legacy source-record capacity
458GWh reported / yr
131,000homes powered
1987commissioned (~39 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010378.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCPI USA NC Southport WRI
CountryUnited States of America · North Carolina WRI
Coordinates33.9444, -78.0118 WRI
FuelWaste WRI
MW installed capacity135 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCPI USA NC Southport LLC WRI
Commissioned1987 WRI
GWh reported / yr458 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2447 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 551 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers20.45× · 7 MW median · 551 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent131,000 calculated from reported generation
Climate17.5°C · HDD 1,138 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 47/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsNot available not in dataset

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

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 135 MW, CPI USA NC Southport is well above the median waste plant in United States of America (7 MW). Waste-to-energy plants burn municipal solid waste to generate electricity and heat, cutting landfill volume while recovering energy from residual waste.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 434 GWh20132014: 485 GWh20142015: 504 GWh20152016: 515 GWh20162017: 424 GWh20172018: 438 GWh20182019: 458 GWh2019515 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by CPI USA NC Southport LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This waste plant recovers energy by combusting municipal or industrial waste. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

17.5°Cannual mean temp
1,138heating degree-days (base 18°C)
989cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
2 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 8 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 21 °CMJ: 24 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 18 °CON: 14 °CND: 10 °CD27 °C

Heating degree-days here run 54% below 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: 28/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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

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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
47/100environmental-severity index
18.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
30 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 #2 largest waste power plant of 551 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 551 waste power plants in this dataset, together about 10,154 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 33.9444, -78.0118 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is CPI USA NC Southport?

CPI USA NC Southport is a 135 MW source-record waste power plant in North Carolina, United States of America, commissioned in 1987.

How much electricity does CPI USA NC Southport generate?

CPI USA NC Southport generates about 458 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can CPI USA NC Southport power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 131,000 homes.

Who operates CPI USA NC Southport?

CPI USA NC Southport is operated by CPI USA NC Southport LLC.

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