PROVENCE 5 — France

PROVENCE 5 is a 595 MW coal power station in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France. It is operated by Energetický a průmyslový holding AS. Based on reported annual generation of 1,215 GWh, it can supply roughly 347k homes. It ranks #36 of 2,216 France power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 137,470 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 32k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 0.3% of France's electricity; the national grid averages 41 gCO₂/kWh (94.9% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002760.

Data provenance

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

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 595 MW, PROVENCE 5 is well above the median coal plant in France (540 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.

~137,470 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

Load factor

23%, from 1,215 GWh of reported generation

Share of France coal capacity

7.8% of 7,595 MW across 14 plants in this dataset

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 Energetický a průmyslový holding AS.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.5°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 23% 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: 41/100 — 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 marine 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 #4 largest coal power plant of 14 in France by capacity.

France has 14 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 7,595 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Provence power station · Oil · 49 MW · Bouches-du-Rhône
• Gardanne · Solar · 10.1 MW · Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• Meyreuil · Solar · 1.1 MW · Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• Fuveau · Solar · 5 MW · Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde · Hydro · 1.6 MW · Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• Aix-en-Provence · Biomass · 4.2 MW · Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur

Location

Coordinates 43.4672, 5.4875 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions