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Moka power plant

Gas power plant in Tochigi, Japan. Approximate location 36.4572, 139.974.

GasTochigiJapanCCGT · HRSGCO₂ modelled

Moka power plant is a 1,248 MW gas power station in Tochigi, Japan. It is operated by Kobelco Power Moka Inc. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #67 of 692 Japan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. Its modelled annual emissions are 1,568,600 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 366k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 32.8% of Japan's electricity; the national grid averages 477 gCO₂/kWh (32.7% low-carbon) (2025).

1,248Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
1,405,829homes powered (est.)
1,568,600t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2019commissioned (~7 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5219.

Data status

Known data

FacilityMoka power plant Climate TRACE
CountryJapan · Tochigi Climate TRACE
Coordinates36.4572, 139.974 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity1,248 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerKobelco Power Moka Inc Climate TRACE
Commissioned2019 Climate TRACE
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions1,568,600 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#67 of 692 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#20 of 66 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.47× · 847 MW median · 66 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,405,829 calculated
Climate13.1°C · HDD 2,274 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 38/100 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 L100000405170); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,248 MW, Moka power plant is well above the median gas plant in Japan (847 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.

~1,568,600 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

366kpassenger cars driven for a year
205khomes' yearly energy use
26 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Japan

Futtsu: 5,334 MW5kFuttsuHigashi Niigata: 4,810 MW5kHigashi Ni…Kawagoe: 4,802 MW5kKawagoeSodegaura: 3,600 MW4kSodegauraShin Nagoya: 3,058 MW3kShin NagoyaHimeji Daini: 2,919 MW3kHimeji Dai…Chiba: 2,880 MW3kChibaShin Oita: 2,295 MW2kShin Oita

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

Owner

Operated by Kobelco Power Moka 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 36.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

13.1°Cannual mean temp
2,274heating degree-days (base 18°C)
512cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
108 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 3 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 25 °CAS: 21 °CSO: 15 °CON: 10 °CND: 5 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 7% below 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: 47/100 — 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)
38/100environmental-severity index
22.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
60 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 #20 largest gas power plant of 66 in Japan by capacity.

Japan has 66 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 74,949 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 36.4572, 139.974 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Moka power plant?

Moka power plant is a 1,248 MW source-record gas power plant in Tochigi, Japan, commissioned in 2019.

How many homes can Moka power plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,405,829 homes (estimated).

Who operates Moka power plant?

Moka power plant is operated by Kobelco Power Moka Inc.

How much CO₂ does Moka power plant emit?

Moka power plant has modelled emissions of about 1,568,600 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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