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Lahad Datu power station

Coal power plant in , Malaysia. Approximate location 5.12055, 119.183357.

CoalMalaysia

Lahad Datu power station is a 300 MW coal power station in , Malaysia. It is operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 375k homes (estimated). It ranks #43 of 82 Malaysia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. In context, coal supplies about 44.6% of Malaysia's electricity; the national grid averages 602 gCO₂/kWh (20.7% low-carbon) (2025).

300MW installed capacity
375,428homes powered (est.)
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityLahad Datu power station GEM-coal
CountryMalaysia · GEM-coal
Coordinates5.12055, 119.183357 GEM-coal
FuelCoal GEM-coal
MW installed capacity300 MW GEM GCPT; source record
OwnerSabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%] GEM-coal
Commissioned2011 GEM-coal

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions1,314,000 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#43 / 82 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#9 / 12 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.21× · 1,400 MW · n=12 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent375,428 calculated
Environmental severityC5 · 49/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 300 MW, Lahad Datu power station is below the median coal plant in Malaysia (1,400 MW). 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.

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Malaysia

Manjung power station: 4,100 MW4kManjung po…Tanjung Bin power station: 3,100 MW3kTanjung Bi…Unnamed Malaysia coal projects: 2,800 MW3kUnnamed Ma…Sultan Aziz power station: 2,164 MW2kSultan Azi…Tg. Bin Energy: 2,100 MW2kTg. Bin En…Jimah power station: 1,400 MW1kJimah powe…Mukah West power station: 1,200 MW1kMukah West…Balingian New power station: 900 MW900Balingian …

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

Owner

Operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 5.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~26°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season mean
Tropical rainforest: hot and humid year-round with little seasonal variation

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
49/100environmental-severity index
1.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
16 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 #9 largest coal power plant of 12 in Malaysia by capacity.

Malaysia has 12 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 18,844 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 5.12055, 119.183357 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Lahad Datu power station?

Lahad Datu power station is a 300 MW coal power plant in , Malaysia, commissioned in 2011.

How many homes can Lahad Datu power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 375,428 homes (estimated).

Who operates Lahad Datu power station?

Lahad Datu power station is operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd [100%].

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