December 12th Power plant — North Korea

December 12th Power plant is a 100 MW coal power station in P'yongan-namdo, North Korea. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 125k homes (estimated). It ranks #27 of 36 North Korea power plants by installed capacity. 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 WRI1019832.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 50 MW for December (Nampo) 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

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 100 MW, December 12th Power plant is below the median coal plant in North Korea (200 MW). 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

1.6% of 6,203 MW across 18 plants in this dataset

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).

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.9°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 32% 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: 69/100 — 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 thermal cycling 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 #15 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

• East Pyongyang power station · Coal · 500 MW · Pyongyang
• Pyongyang power station · Coal · 700 MW · Pyongyang
• December (Nampo) power station · Coal · 200 MW · P'yongan-namdo
• Unbong · Hydro · 400 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
• Sariwon · Coal · 200 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
• Kangdong power station · Coal · 300 MW · Pyongyang

Location

Coordinates 38.8893, 125.5596 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions