Paju (KDHC) power station — South Korea

Paju (KDHC) power station is a 515.5 MW gas power station in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea District Heating Corp. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 581k homes (estimated). It ranks #69 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2010, it is around 16 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 644,820 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 150k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 27.9% of South Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 417 gCO₂/kWh (40.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-5453.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: Climate TRACE; fuel: Climate TRACE

In context: how this plant compares

At 515.5 MW, Paju (KDHC) power station is around the median gas plant in South Korea (515 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.

~644,820 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

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

Key facts

Share of South Korea gas capacity

0.9% of 58,006 MW across 77 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

21 of 67 dated gas plants in South Korea are older

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

Capacity vs largest gas plants in South Korea

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

Owner

Operated by Korea District Heating Corp. All plants by this company →

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 monsoon hot-summer continental climate (Köppen Dwa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.7°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 18% 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: 60/100 — 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

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #38 largest gas power plant of 77 in South Korea by capacity.

South Korea has 77 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 58,006 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Paju · Gas · 515 MW · Gyeonggi-do
• Ilsan · Gas · 930 MW · Gyeonggi-do
• Samsong CHP power station · Gas · 173 MW · Gyeonggi-do
• Sudokwon · Waste · 50 MW · Gyeonggi-do
• Gimpo CHP power station · Gas · 500 MW · Gyeonggi-do
• Bucheon Power · Gas · 450 MW · Gyeonggi-do

Location

Coordinates 37.7371, 126.7199 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions