Macclesfield Zenca power station — United Kingdom
Gas power plant in Cheshire, United Kingdom. Approximate location 53.275459, -2.110065.
GasCheshireUnited KingdomCCGT · HRSG
Macclesfield Zenca power station is a 23 MW gas power plant in Cheshire, United Kingdom. It is operated by AstraZeneca PLC [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 26k homes (estimated). It ranks #487 of 2,860 United Kingdom power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2001, it is around 25 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 31.1% 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 GOGPT_macclesfieldzenca_united.
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
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000407637; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 23 MW, Macclesfield Zenca power station is below the median gas plant in United Kingdom (115 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.
Key facts
- Share of United Kingdom gas capacity
- less than 0.1% of 52,329 MW across 130 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 38 of 97 dated gas plants in United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by AstraZeneca PLC [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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 53.3°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 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 #106 largest gas power plant of 130 in United Kingdom by capacity.
United Kingdom has 130 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 52,329 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Danes Moss Landfill Site · Waste · 1.6 MW · England
- Danes Moss Landfill Site (Extension) · Waste · 2 MW · England
- Arden Quarry Landfill · Waste · 3.1 MW · England
- Salford Road Solar Farm (resubmission) · Solar · 2.2 MW · England
- South Manchester Resource Recovery Centre (AD) · Biomass · 2 MW · England
- Bredbury Park Way - AD Stockport (Waste AD) · Biomass · 2 MW · England
Location
Coordinates 53.275459, -2.110065 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Macclesfield Zenca power station?
Macclesfield Zenca power station is a 23 MW gas power plant in Cheshire, United Kingdom, commissioned in 2001.
Who operates Macclesfield Zenca power station?
Macclesfield Zenca power station is operated by AstraZeneca PLC [100%].