Herne power station is a 729 MW coal power station in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by STEAG GmbH. Based on reported annual generation of 2,128 GWh, it can supply roughly 608k homes. It ranks #66 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1976, it is around 50 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 762,857 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 178k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 20.6% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005904.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 500 MW for Herne power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000101942; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 729 MW, Herne power station is well above the median coal plant in Germany (296.2 MW). Technically it is described as Siemens Energy: SGT5-8000H; subcritical. 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.
762,857 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).
Key facts
- Load factor
- 33%, from 2,128 GWh of reported generation; the median for 42 coal plants in Germany that report generation is 47%
- Share of Germany coal capacity
- 1.1% of 64,920 MW across 124 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 35 of 117 dated coal plants in Germany are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Germany
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by STEAG GmbH. All plants by this company →
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 51.6°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 25% 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: 64/100 — this site sits in the mid 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
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 #35 largest coal power plant of 124 in Germany by capacity.
Germany has 124 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 64,920 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- RZR Herten II · Waste · 29.6 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Shamrock power station · Coal · 68 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- HKW Hiltrop · Gas · 44 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- BMHKW-RE Recklinghausen · Biomass · 14 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Bochum · Gas · 20.7 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Energiezentrale · Gas · 11.1 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
Location
Coordinates 51.5508, 7.1875 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Herne power station?
Herne power station is a 729 MW coal power plant in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, commissioned in 1976.
How much electricity does Herne power station generate?
Herne power station generates about 2,128 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Herne power station?
Herne power station is operated by STEAG GmbH.
How much CO₂ does Herne power station emit?
Herne power station has measured emissions of about 762,857 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).