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Knapsack Natural Gas I

Gas power plant in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Approximate location 50.8617, 6.8424.

GasNorth Rhine-WestphaliaGermanyCCGT · HRSGCO₂ modelled

Knapsack Natural Gas I is a 1,252 MW gas power station in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by Statkraft Markets GmbH. Based on reported annual generation of 2,030 GWh, it can supply roughly 580k homes. It ranks #30 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 342,850 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 80k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 16.5% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).

1,252Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
2,030GWh reported / yr
580,085homes powered
342,850t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2007commissioned (~19 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005865.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKnapsack Natural Gas I WRI
CountryGermany · North Rhine-Westphalia WRI
Coordinates50.8617, 6.8424 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,252 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerStatkraft Markets GmbH WRI
Commissioned2007 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr2,030 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions342,850 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#30 of 1442 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#4 of 241 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers23.67× · 53 MW median · 241 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent580,085 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.1°C · HDD 2,892 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 24/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000400196); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,252 MW, Knapsack Natural Gas I is well above the median gas plant in Germany (53 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

~342,850 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

80kpassenger cars driven for a year
45khomes' yearly energy use
5.7 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Reported generation trend

2015: 508 GWh20152016: 2,042 GWh20162017: 2,030 GWh20172k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Statkraft Markets GmbH.

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.1°Cannual mean temp
2,892heating degree-days (base 18°C)
7cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
125 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 3 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 10 °CON: 6 °CND: 4 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 18% 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: 59/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
24/100environmental-severity index
15.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
163 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 gas power plant of 241 in Germany by capacity.

Germany has 241 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 37,245 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 50.8617, 6.8424 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Knapsack Natural Gas I?

Knapsack Natural Gas I is a 1,252 MW source-record gas power plant in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, commissioned in 2007.

How much electricity does Knapsack Natural Gas I generate?

Knapsack Natural Gas I generates about 2,030 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Knapsack Natural Gas I power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 580,085 homes.

Who operates Knapsack Natural Gas I?

Knapsack Natural Gas I is operated by Statkraft Markets GmbH.

How much CO₂ does Knapsack Natural Gas I emit?

Knapsack Natural Gas I has modelled emissions of about 342,850 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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