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Merck Rahway Power Plant

Gas power plant in New Jersey, United States of America. Approximate location 40.6156, -74.2653.

GasNew JerseyUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Merck Rahway Power Plant is a 21 MW gas power plant in New Jersey, United States of America. It is operated by Merck & Co Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 43 GWh, it can supply roughly 12k homes. It ranks #4685 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2000, it is around 26 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 25,408 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 5.9k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 40.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

21Source-backed capacity
43GWh reported / yr
12,371homes powered
25,408t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2000commissioned (~26 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010224.

Data status

Known data

FacilityMerck Rahway Power Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · New Jersey WRI
Coordinates40.6156, -74.2653 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity21 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerMerck & Co Inc WRI
Commissioned2000 WRI
GWh reported / yr43 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions25,408 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4685 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1617 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.17× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent12,371 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.6°C · HDD 2,743 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 37/100 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/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: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 21 MW, Merck Rahway Power Plant is below the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). 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.

~25,408 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

5.9kpassenger cars driven for a year
3.3khomes' yearly energy use
423ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 26 GWh20132014: 30 GWh20142015: 15 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 16 GWh20172018: 35 GWh20182019: 43 GWh201943 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Merck & Co Inc.

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 humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.6°Cannual mean temp
2,743heating degree-days (base 18°C)
437cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
31 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 5 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 19 °CSO: 13 °CON: 8 °CND: 2 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 12% 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: 56/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
37/100environmental-severity index
24.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
62 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 #1617 largest gas power plant of 2165 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 2165 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 789,950 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 40.6156, -74.2653 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Merck Rahway Power Plant?

Merck Rahway Power Plant is a 21 MW source-record gas power plant in New Jersey, United States of America, commissioned in 2000.

How much electricity does Merck Rahway Power Plant generate?

Merck Rahway Power Plant generates about 43 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Merck Rahway Power Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 12,371 homes.

Who operates Merck Rahway Power Plant?

Merck Rahway Power Plant is operated by Merck & Co Inc.

How much CO₂ does Merck Rahway Power Plant emit?

Merck Rahway Power Plant has modelled emissions of about 25,408 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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