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Rostock power station

Coal power plant in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Approximate location 54.1428, 12.1329.

CoalMecklenburg-VorpommernGermanyCO₂ modelled

Rostock power station is a 514 MW coal power station in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is operated by Kraftwerks- und Netzgesellschaft. Based on reported annual generation of 2,849 GWh, it can supply roughly 814k homes. It ranks #85 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 683,394 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 159k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 20.6% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).

514Source-backed capacity
2,849GWh reported / yr
813,885homes powered
683,394t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1994commissioned (~32 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005866.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRostock power station WRI
CountryGermany · Mecklenburg-Vorpommern WRI
Coordinates54.1428, 12.1329 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity514 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerKraftwerks- und Netzgesellschaft WRI
Commissioned1994 WRI
GWh reported / yr2,849 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions683,394 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#85 of 1442 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#46 of 124 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.74× · 296 MW median · 124 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent813,885 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.5°C · HDD 3,452 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 28/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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 L100000101924); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 514 MW, Rostock power station is well above the median coal plant in Germany (296 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.

~683,394 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

159kpassenger cars driven for a year
89khomes' yearly energy use
11 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2015: 2,788 GWh20152016: 3,224 GWh20162017: 2,849 GWh20173k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Kraftwerks- und Netzgesellschaft.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 54.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.5°Cannual mean temp
3,452heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
31 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 0 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 7 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 9 °CON: 5 °CND: 2 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 40% 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: 75/100 — this site sits in the top 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

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
17.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
123 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 #46 largest coal power plant of 124 in Germany by capacity.

Germany has 124 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 64,920 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 54.1428, 12.1329 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Rostock power station?

Rostock power station is a 514 MW source-record coal power plant in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, commissioned in 1994.

How much electricity does Rostock power station generate?

Rostock power station generates about 2,849 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Rostock power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 813,885 homes.

Who operates Rostock power station?

Rostock power station is operated by Kraftwerks- und Netzgesellschaft.

How much CO₂ does Rostock power station emit?

Rostock power station has modelled emissions of about 683,394 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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