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ELSTA

Gas power plant in Zeeland, Netherlands. Approximate location 51.3331, 3.7787.

GasZeelandNetherlandsCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

ELSTA is a 460 MW gas power station in Zeeland, Netherlands. It is operated by TenneT. Based on reported annual generation of 1,279 GWh, it can supply roughly 365k homes. It ranks #21 of 119 Netherlands power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1998, it is around 28 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 3,213,618 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 749k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 34.9% of Netherlands's electricity; the national grid averages 254 gCO₂/kWh (54.2% low-carbon) (2025).

460Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
1,279GWh reported / yr
365,428homes powered
3,213,618t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
1998commissioned (~28 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005509.

Data status

Known data

FacilityELSTA WRI
CountryNetherlands · Zeeland WRI
Coordinates51.3331, 3.7787 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity460 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTenneT WRI
Commissioned1998 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr1,279 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions3,213,618 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#21 of 119 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#12 of 42 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.83× · 120 MW median · 42 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent365,428 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.4°C · HDD 2,762 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 32/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

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

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000400519); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 460 MW, ELSTA is well above the median gas plant in Netherlands (120 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

3,213,618 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

749kpassenger cars driven for a year
419khomes' yearly energy use
54 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2015: 854 GWh20152016: 1,156 GWh20162017: 1,279 GWh20171k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by TenneT.

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 51.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.4°Cannual mean temp
2,762heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
2 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 4 °CJF: 4 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 11 °CON: 7 °CND: 4 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 12% 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: 56/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

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 a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
14.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
37 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 #12 largest gas power plant of 42 in Netherlands by capacity.

Netherlands has 42 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 14,954 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 51.3331, 3.7787 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is ELSTA?

ELSTA is a 460 MW source-record gas power plant in Zeeland, Netherlands, commissioned in 1998.

How much electricity does ELSTA generate?

ELSTA generates about 1,279 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can ELSTA power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 365,428 homes.

Who operates ELSTA?

ELSTA is operated by TenneT.

How much CO₂ does ELSTA emit?

ELSTA has measured emissions of about 3,213,618 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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