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Esbjerg power station

Coal power plant in South Denmark, Denmark. Approximate location 55.4552, 8.4544.

CoalSouth DenmarkDenmarksupercriticalCO₂ measured

Esbjerg power station is a 373 MW coal power station in South Denmark, Denmark. It is operated by DONG Energy A/S. Based on reported annual generation of 818 GWh, it can supply roughly 234k homes. It ranks #9 of 57 Denmark power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1992, it is around 34 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 633,517 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 148k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 2.7% of Denmark's electricity; the national grid averages 114 gCO₂/kWh (91.2% low-carbon) (2025).

373Source-backed capacity
818GWh reported / yr
233,657homes powered
633,517t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
1992commissioned (~34 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022035.

Data status

Known data

FacilityEsbjerg power station WRI
CountryDenmark · South Denmark WRI
Coordinates55.4552, 8.4544 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity373 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDONG Energy A/S WRI
Commissioned1992 WRI
Technologysupercritical WRI
GWh reported / yr818 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions633,517 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#9 of 57 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#6 of 11 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.00× · 373 MW median · 11 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent233,657 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.6°C · HDD 3,425 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 31/100 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: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 373 MW, Esbjerg power station is around the median coal plant in Denmark (373 MW). Technically it is described as supercritical. 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.

633,517 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

148kpassenger cars driven for a year
83khomes' yearly energy use
11 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: 962 GWh20152016: 1,354 GWh20162017: 818 GWh20171k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by DONG Energy A/S.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 55.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.6°Cannual mean temp
3,425heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
6 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 3 °CMA: 7 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 16 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 10 °CON: 5 °CND: 3 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 39% 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: 74/100 — 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

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)
31/100environmental-severity index
15.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
26 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 #6 largest coal power plant of 11 in Denmark by capacity.

Denmark has 11 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 5,163 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 55.4552, 8.4544 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Esbjerg power station?

Esbjerg power station is a 373 MW source-record coal power plant in South Denmark, Denmark, commissioned in 1992.

How much electricity does Esbjerg power station generate?

Esbjerg power station generates about 818 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Esbjerg power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 233,657 homes.

Who operates Esbjerg power station?

Esbjerg power station is operated by DONG Energy A/S.

How much CO₂ does Esbjerg power station emit?

Esbjerg power station has measured emissions of about 633,517 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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