Medicine Hat power station — Canada

Medicine Hat power station is a 55 MW gas power plant in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by City of Medicine Hat [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 62k homes (estimated). It ranks #400 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2003, it is around 23 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 17.8% of Canada's electricity; the national grid averages 191 gCO₂/kWh (77.0% low-carbon) (2025).

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

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000405237; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 55 MW, Medicine Hat power station is below the median gas plant in Canada (170 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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 Canada gas capacity

0.1% of 37,176 MW across 112 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

39 of 88 dated gas plants in Canada 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 Canada

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

Owner

Operated by City of Medicine Hat [100%].

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 cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.1°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 92% 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #108 largest gas power plant of 112 in Canada by capacity.

Canada has 112 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 37,176 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Box Springs · Wind · 6 MW · Alberta
• Solar Concentrating Steam Power Plant · Solar · 1 MW · Alberta
• Taber · Wind · 81 MW · Alberta
• Brooks · Solar · 13 MW · Alberta
• Bow City power station · Coal · 1,000 MW · Alberta
• Chin Chute · Wind · 30 MW · Alberta

Location

Coordinates 50.089484, -110.736143 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions