Khormala power station is a 1,430 MW gas power station in Kurdistan, Iraq. It is operated by KAR Power [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.6 million homes (estimated). It ranks #20 of 91 Iraq power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2017, it is around 9 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 53.0% of Iraq's electricity; the national grid averages 683 gCO₂/kWh (1.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_khormala_iraq.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
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 930 MW for Khormala 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
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,430 MW, Khormala power station is well above the median gas plant in Iraq (740 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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 Iraq gas capacity
- 2.3% of 61,570 MW across 55 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 25 of 45 dated gas plants in Iraq are older
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 Iraq
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by KAR Power [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 hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.0°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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #15 largest gas power plant of 55 in Iraq by capacity.
Iraq has 55 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 61,570 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Erbil · Gas · 1,500 MW · Arbil
- Khabat Thermal Power Plant · Oil · 300 MW · Kurdistan
- DIBIS · Gas · 320 MW · Muhafazat Kirkuk
- Mulla Abdulla (New) · Gas · 222 MW · Muhafazat Kirkuk
- Al-Shemal · Oil · 2,100 MW · Ninawa
- Al Qayyarah power station · Gas · 1,125 MW · Nineveh
Location
Coordinates 35.970182, 43.774447 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Khormala power station?
Khormala power station is a 1,430 MW gas power plant in Kurdistan, Iraq, commissioned in 2017.
Who operates Khormala power station?
Khormala power station is operated by KAR Power [100%].