Davao San Miguel power station — Philippines

Davao San Miguel power station is a 300 MW coal power station in Davao, Philippines. It is operated by SMC Global Power Holdings. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 375k homes (estimated). It ranks #50 of 186 Philippines power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2017, it is around 9 years old — relatively modern. In context, coal supplies about 58.7% of Philippines's electricity; the national grid averages 588 gCO₂/kWh (23.3% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1029969.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103184; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 300 MW, Davao San Miguel power station is around the median coal plant in Philippines (300 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 Philippines coal capacity

1.6% of 18,322 MW across 50 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

19 of 28 dated coal plants in Philippines 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 Philippines

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

Owner

Operated by SMC Global Power Holdings.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 6.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt 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 #17 largest coal power plant of 50 in Philippines by capacity.

Philippines has 50 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 18,322 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• SPPC · Oil · 59 MW · Soccsksargen
• Santa Cruz power station (Philippines) · Coal · 82 MW · Davao del Sur
• Digos Solar · Solar · 28.6 MW · Davao
• General Santos power station · Coal · 300 MW · General Santos
• Davao Therma South power station · Coal · 300 MW · Davao
• BAJADA DPP · Oil · 58.7 MW · Davao

Location

Coordinates 6.3943, 125.6173 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions