Kirkniemi — Finland

Kirkniemi is a 128 MW gas power station in Uusimaa, Finland. It is operated by Sappi Finland Oy. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 144k homes (estimated). It ranks #31 of 203 Finland power plants by installed capacity. Its annual emissions of 49,541 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 12k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 1.2% of Finland's electricity; the national grid averages 57 gCO₂/kWh (96.3% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002397.

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 128 MW, Kirkniemi is around the median gas plant in Finland (120.6 MW). 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.

49,541 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

Share of Finland gas capacity

5.7% of 2,246 MW across 20 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 gas plants in Finland

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

Owner

Operated by Sappi Finland Oy.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 60.2°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 93% 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: 92/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), 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 #8 largest gas power plant of 20 in Finland by capacity.

Finland has 20 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 2,246 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Inkoo power station · Coal · 1,000 MW · Uusimaa
• Suomenoja power station · Coal · 279 MW · Uusimaa
• Salo · Biomass · 13.5 MW · Varsinais-Suomi
• Martinlaakso · Gas · 171.7 MW · Uusimaa
• Salmisaari B · Coal · 163 MW · Uusimaa
• Kellosaari · Oil · 120 MW · Uusimaa

Location

Coordinates 60.1843, 23.946 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions