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Pont-sur-Sambre

Gas power plant in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. Approximate location 50.2308, 3.8653.

GasNord-Pas-de-CalaisFranceCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Pont-sur-Sambre is a 450 MW gas power station in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. It is operated by Total Direct Énergie [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 2,102 GWh, it can supply roughly 601k homes. It ranks #45 of 2,216 France power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 628,976 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 147k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 3.0% of France's electricity; the national grid averages 41 gCO₂/kWh (94.9% low-carbon) (2025).

450Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
2,102GWh reported / yr
600,514homes powered
628,976t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
2009commissioned (~17 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002756.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPont-sur-Sambre WRI
CountryFrance · Nord-Pas-de-Calais WRI
Coordinates50.2308, 3.8653 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity450 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTotal Direct Énergie [100%] WRI
Commissioned2009 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr2,102 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions628,976 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#45 of 2216 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#6 of 34 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers5.16× · 87 MW median · 34 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent600,514 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.4°C · HDD 3,118 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 28/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000400105); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 450 MW, Pont-sur-Sambre is well above the median gas plant in France (87 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.

628,976 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

147kpassenger cars driven for a year
82khomes' yearly energy use
10 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2015: 581 GWh20152017: 2,102 GWh20172k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Total Direct Énergie [100%].

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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 50.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.4°Cannual mean temp
3,118heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
183 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 3 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 10 °CON: 6 °CND: 4 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 27% 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: 66/100 — 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

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
28/100environmental-severity index
14.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
121 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 #6 largest gas power plant of 34 in France by capacity.

France has 34 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 7,707 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 50.2308, 3.8653 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Pont-sur-Sambre?

Pont-sur-Sambre is a 450 MW source-record gas power plant in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, commissioned in 2009.

How much electricity does Pont-sur-Sambre generate?

Pont-sur-Sambre generates about 2,102 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Pont-sur-Sambre power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 600,514 homes.

Who operates Pont-sur-Sambre?

Pont-sur-Sambre is operated by Total Direct Énergie [100%].

How much CO₂ does Pont-sur-Sambre emit?

Pont-sur-Sambre has measured emissions of about 628,976 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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