Kangdong power station — North Korea
Coal power plant in Pyongyang, North Korea. Approximate location 39.001994, 126.161939.
CoalPyongyangNorth Korea
Kangdong power station is a 300 MW coal power station in Pyongyang, North Korea. It is operated by Kangdong Thermal Plant Complex [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 375k homes (estimated). It ranks #16 of 36 North Korea power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 34.1% of North Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 341 gCO₂/kWh (63.4% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_kangdong_north.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 300 MW, Kangdong power station is well above the median coal plant in North Korea (200 MW). 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.
Key facts
- Share of North Korea coal capacity
- 4.8% of 6,203 MW across 18 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 coal plants in North Korea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Kangdong Thermal Plant Complex [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.0°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).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #8 largest coal power plant of 18 in North Korea by capacity.
North Korea has 18 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 6,203 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Pyongyang power station · Coal · 700 MW · Pyongyang
- East Pyongyang power station · Coal · 500 MW · Pyongyang
- Sunchon power station · Coal · 400 MW · P'yongan-namdo
- December 12th Power plant · Coal · 100 MW · P'yongan-namdo
- Pukchang power station · Coal · 1,600 MW · P'yongan-bukto
- Sariwon · Coal · 200 MW · Hwanghae-bukto
Location
Coordinates 39.001994, 126.161939 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kangdong power station?
Kangdong power station is a 300 MW coal power plant in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Who operates Kangdong power station?
Kangdong power station is operated by Kangdong Thermal Plant Complex [100%].