Fort Nelson generating station — Canada

Fort Nelson generating station is a 73 MW gas power plant in British Columbia, Canada. It is operated by B.C. Hydro and Power Authority [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 82k homes (estimated). It ranks #345 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 17.8% of Canada's electricity; the national grid averages 191 gCO₂/kWh (77.0% low-carbon) (2025).

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

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000405217; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 73 MW, Fort Nelson generating station is below the median gas plant in Canada (170 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.

Key facts

Share of Canada gas capacity

0.2% of 37,176 MW across 112 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 gas plants in Canada

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

Owner

Operated by B.C. Hydro and Power Authority [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 58.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

How it compares & nearby plants

The #102 largest gas power plant of 112 in Canada by capacity.

Canada has 112 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 37,176 MW of capacity.

Location

Coordinates 58.651624, -122.695271 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions