EC Bielsko-Biała 1 is a 77 MW gas power plant in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. It is operated by PKE S.A.. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 87k homes (estimated). It ranks #111 of 246 Poland power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1973, it is around 53 years old — an older, legacy facility. Its modelled annual emissions are 161,860 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 38k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 14.3% of Poland's electricity; the national grid averages 589 gCO₂/kWh (31.5% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061514.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
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 77 MW, EC Bielsko-Biała 1 is below the median gas plant in Poland (141 MW). 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.
~161,860 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of Poland gas capacity
- 0.9% of 8,201 MW across 37 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 1 of 31 dated gas plants in Poland is older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest gas plants in Poland
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by PKE S.A..
Local climate & thermal context
This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 49.8°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 60% 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: 83/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).
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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness 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 #24 largest gas power plant of 37 in Poland by capacity.
Poland has 37 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 8,201 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Bielsko-Biala power station · Coal · 166 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
- EC Bielsko-Północ 2 · Oil · 55 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
- Porąbka · Hydro · 13 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
- Porąbka-Żar · Hydro · 552 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
- Tresna · Hydro · 21 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
- Czeczott power station · Coal · 1,000 MW · Silesian Voivodeship
Location
Coordinates 49.8123, 19.0538 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is EC Bielsko-Biała 1?
EC Bielsko-Biała 1 is a 77 MW gas power plant in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, commissioned in 1973.
Who operates EC Bielsko-Biała 1?
EC Bielsko-Biała 1 is operated by PKE S.A..
How much CO₂ does EC Bielsko-Biała 1 emit?
EC Bielsko-Biała 1 has modelled emissions of about 161,860 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).