Keephills — Canada

Keephills is a 1,253 MW coal power station in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Capital Power (50%) / TransAlta (50%). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.6 million homes (estimated). It ranks #29 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2021, it is around 5 years old — recently built. In context, coal supplies about 4.1% 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 CAN0002059.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,253 MW, Keephills is well above the median coal plant in Canada (540 MW). Technically it is described as Steam; 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.

Key facts

Share of Canada coal capacity

8.7% of 14,386 MW across 20 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

12 of 17 dated coal plants in Canada 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 Canada

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

Owner

Operated by Capital Power (50%) / TransAlta (50%).

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 53.4°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 121% 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: 96/100 — 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

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 #4 largest coal power plant of 20 in Canada by capacity.

Canada has 20 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 14,386 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Sundance · Coal · 2,141 MW · Alberta
• Alberta Sundance power station · Gas · 2,121 MW · Alberta
• Wabamun power station · Coal · 537 MW · Alberta
• Genesee · Coal · 1,857 MW · Alberta
• Genesee Data Centre Project power station · Gas · 1,500 MW · Alberta
• Alsike power plant · Gas · 340 MW · Alberta

Location

Coordinates 53.4487, -114.4501 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions