Pohang power station — South Korea
Coal power plant in North Gyeongsang, South Korea. Approximate location 36.032222, 129.365.
CoalNorth GyeongsangSouth Korea
Pohang power station is a 500 MW coal power station in North Gyeongsang, South Korea. It is operated by POSCO Holdings Inc [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 626k homes (estimated). It ranks #79 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 31.1% 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 GEM_coa_pohang_south.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 500 MW, Pohang power station is well above the median coal plant in South Korea (400 MW). 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 South Korea coal capacity
- 1.1% of 46,928 MW across 34 plants in this dataset
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 South Korea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by POSCO Holdings Inc [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.0°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 1% 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: 49/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
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 humidity / wetness 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 #16 largest coal power plant of 34 in South Korea by capacity.
South Korea has 34 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 46,928 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Pohang Works · Gas · 981.9 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
- FINEX · Gas · 146 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Pohang Works · Gas · 345 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Shin-Wolsong · Nuclear · 2,096 MW · Ulsan
- Wolsong · Nuclear · 2,799 MW · Ulsan
- Youngduk · Wind · 40 MW · Gyeongsangbuk-do
Location
Coordinates 36.032222, 129.365 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Pohang power station?
Pohang power station is a 500 MW coal power plant in North Gyeongsang, South Korea.
Who operates Pohang power station?
Pohang power station is operated by POSCO Holdings Inc [100%].