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Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant

Nuclear power plant in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Approximate location 50.4086, 7.4874.

NuclearRhineland-PalatinateGermanypressurized water reactor

Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant is a 1,302 MW nuclear power station in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is operated by SCN Energy AG [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.9 million homes (estimated). It ranks #29 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1987, it is around 39 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 0.0% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).

1,302MW installed capacity
11construction time (1975→1986)
2,932,848homes powered (est.)
1987commissioned (~39 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilityMuelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant GEM-nuclear
CountryGermany · Rhineland-Palatinate GEM-nuclear
Coordinates50.4086, 7.4874 GEM-nuclear
FuelNuclear GEM-nuclear
MW installed capacity1,302 MW GEM GNPT; source record
OwnerSCN Energy AG [100%] GEM-nuclear
Commissioned1987 GEM-nuclear
Technologypressurized water reactor GEM-nuclear

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#29 / 1442 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#13 / 25 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.00× · 1,302 MW · n=25 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,932,848 calculated
Environmental severityC2 · 25/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 GNPT; fuel: GEM GNPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,302 MW, Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant is around the median nuclear plant in Germany (1,302 MW). Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest nuclear plants in Germany

Stendal nuclear power plant: 4,000 MW4kStendal nu…Kernkraft Gundremmingen: 2,572 MW3kKernkraft …Biblis nuclear power plant: 2,525 MW3kBiblis nuc…ISAR-2: 1,485 MW1kISAR-2BROKDORF: 1,480 MW1kBROKDORFPHILIPPSBURG-2: 1,468 MW1kPHILIPPSBU…Grohnde: 1,430 MW1kGrohndeUnterweser nuclear power plant: 1,410 MW1kUnterweser…

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

Owner

Operated by SCN Energy AG [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season mean
Temperate oceanic: four distinct seasons — cold winters and warm summers

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 a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
25/100environmental-severity index
16.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
257 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 #13 largest nuclear power plant of 25 in Germany by capacity.

Germany has 25 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 26,511 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 50.4086, 7.4874 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant?

Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant is a 1,302 MW nuclear power plant in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, commissioned in 1987.

How many homes can Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,932,848 homes (estimated).

Who operates Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant?

Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear power plant is operated by SCN Energy AG [100%].

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