North Chennai Thermal Power Station is a 2,630 MW coal power station in Tamil Nadu, India. It is operated by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #81 of 2,225 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 70.8% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_northchennaithermal_india.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,830 MW for North Chennai Thermal Power Station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000102569; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,630 MW, North Chennai Thermal Power Station is well above the median coal plant in India (1,000 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of India coal capacity
- 0.3% of 805,419 MW across 713 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 60 of 354 dated coal plants in India are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in India
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 13.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in an extreme marine/tropical environment (estimated ISO 9223 class CX — Extreme), with marine salt corrosion 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 #75 largest coal power plant of 713 in India by capacity.
India has 713 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 805,419 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- NORTH CHENNAI · Coal · 630 MW · Tamil Nadu
- NORTH CHENNAI EXTENSION · Coal · 1,200 MW · Tamil Nadu
- Kattupalli power station · Gas · 900 MW · Tamil Nadu
- VALLUR ntpc/ntecl · Coal · 1,500 MW · Tamil Nadu
- Vallur Thermal Power Plant · Coal · 1,500 MW · Tamil Nadu
- Ennore SEZ Super Critical Thermal Power Project (Vayalur) · Coal · 1,320 MW · Tamil Nadu
Location
Coordinates 13.253013, 80.327804 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is North Chennai Thermal Power Station?
North Chennai Thermal Power Station is a 2,630 MW coal power plant in Tamil Nadu, India, commissioned in 1994.
Who operates North Chennai Thermal Power Station?
North Chennai Thermal Power Station is operated by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%].