East Pyongyang power station — North Korea

East Pyongyang power station is a 500 MW coal power station in Pyongyang, North Korea. It is operated by Ministry of Electric Power. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 626k homes (estimated). It ranks #5 of 36 North Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2006, it is around 20 years old — relatively modern. 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 WRI1019821.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 200 MW for East Pyongyang 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 500 MW, East Pyongyang power station is well above the median coal plant in North Korea (200 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 North Korea coal capacity

8.1% of 6,203 MW across 18 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

7 of 8 dated coal plants in North Korea 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 North Korea

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

Owner

Operated by Ministry of Electric Power.

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 39.0°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 35% 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: 71/100 — 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 #3 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

• Pyongyang power station · Coal · 700 MW · Pyongyang
• December 12th Power plant · Coal · 100 MW · P'yongan-namdo
• December (Nampo) power station · Coal · 200 MW · P'yongan-namdo
• Kangdong power station · Coal · 300 MW · Pyongyang
• Unbong · Hydro · 400 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
• Sunchon power station · Coal · 400 MW · P'yongan-namdo

Location

Coordinates 38.9695, 125.6881 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions