Kirkwall — United Kingdom
Oil power plant in Scotland, United Kingdom. Approximate location 58.9848, -2.9587.
OilScotlandUnited Kingdom
Kirkwall is a 16 MW oil power plant in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is operated by Scottish and Southern: Island Generation. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 12k homes (estimated). It ranks #676 of 2,860 United Kingdom power plants by installed capacity. In context, oil supplies about 4.4% of United Kingdom's electricity; the national grid averages 217 gCO₂/kWh (64.4% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GBR1000413.
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: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 16 MW, Kirkwall is below the median oil plant in United Kingdom (45 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of United Kingdom oil capacity
- 0.7% of 2,134 MW across 14 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 oil plants in United Kingdom
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Scottish and Southern: Island Generation.
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 59.0°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 51% 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: 80/100 — 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #9 largest oil power plant of 14 in United Kingdom by capacity.
United Kingdom has 14 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 2,134 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- New Holland · Wind · 1 MW · Scotland
- Hammar's Hill · Wind · 4.3 MW · Scotland
- Barns of Ayre Wind Turbines (2) · Wind · 1.8 MW · Scotland
- Thorfinn Wind Farm - NM2000 · Wind · 2.3 MW · Scotland
- Thorfinn Wind Farm - NM1500 · Wind · 1.5 MW · Scotland
- Flotta · Wind · 1.8 MW · Scotland
Location
Coordinates 58.9848, -2.9587 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kirkwall?
Kirkwall is a 16 MW oil power plant in Scotland, United Kingdom.
Who operates Kirkwall?
Kirkwall is operated by Scottish and Southern: Island Generation.