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Grohnde

Nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony, Germany. Approximate location 52.0356, 9.4135.

NuclearLower SaxonyGermanyunknownpressurized water reactor

Grohnde is a 1,430 MW nuclear power station in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is operated by E.ON Kernkraft GmbH. Based on reported annual generation of 9,133 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.6 million homes. It ranks #21 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1985, it is around 41 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 0.0% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).

1,430Source-backed capacity
8 yrconstruction time (1976→1984)
9,133GWh reported / yr
2,609,485homes powered
1985commissioned (~41 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005703.

Data status

Known data

FacilityGrohnde WRI
CountryGermany · Lower Saxony WRI
Coordinates52.0356, 9.4135 WRI
FuelNuclear WRI
MW installed capacity1,430 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerE.ON Kernkraft GmbH WRI
Commissioned1985 WRI
Technologypressurized water reactor WRI
GWh reported / yr9,133 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#21 of 1442 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#7 of 25 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.10× · 1,302 MW median · 25 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,609,485 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.6°C · HDD 3,397 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 24/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 1,430 MW, Grohnde is around the median nuclear plant in Germany (1,302 MW). Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2015: 9,755 GWh20152016: 8,417 GWh20162017: 9,133 GWh201710k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by E.ON Kernkraft GmbH.

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 52.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.6°Cannual mean temp
3,397heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
198 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 13 °CSO: 9 °CON: 5 °CND: 2 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 38% 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: 73/100 — 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
24/100environmental-severity index
16.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
198 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 #7 largest nuclear power plant of 25 in Germany by capacity.

Germany has 25 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 26,511 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 52.0356, 9.4135 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Grohnde?

Grohnde is a 1,430 MW source-record nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony, Germany, commissioned in 1985.

How much electricity does Grohnde generate?

Grohnde generates about 9,133 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Grohnde power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,609,485 homes.

Who operates Grohnde?

Grohnde is operated by E.ON Kernkraft GmbH.

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