Nalco — United States of America

Nalco is a 4.7 MW gas power plant in Illinois, United States of America. It is operated by Nalco Co. Based on reported annual generation of 18 GWh, it can supply roughly 5.2k homes. It ranks #7279 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1985, it is around 41 years old — long-established. 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).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0050326.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 4.7 MW, Nalco is below the median gas plant in United States of America (121.2 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.

Key facts

Load factor

44%, from 18 GWh of reported generation; the median for 1622 gas plants in United States of America that report generation is 26%

Generation trend

151 GWh in 2013 and 18 GWh in 2019 (−88%)

Highest and lowest year

2013: 151 GWh; 2014: 13 GWh

Share of United States of America gas capacity

less than 0.1% of 789,950 MW across 2,165 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

384 of 1,973 dated gas plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

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

Owner

Operated by Nalco Co.

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 hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 41.8°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 37% 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: 73/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with thermal cycling 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 #1936 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

• Aurora · Gas · 1,090 MW · Illinois
• BP Naperville Cogeneration Facility · Gas · 8.3 MW · Illinois
• WestRock (IL) · Gas · 2.9 MW · Illinois
• Elwood Energy Storage Center · Storage · 19.8 MW · Illinois
• Settlers Hill Gas Recovery · Waste · 6 MW · Illinois
• Mooseheart Power House · Gas · 1.8 MW · Illinois

Location

Coordinates 41.8009, -88.1972 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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