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Rostock power station — Germany

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).

514MW installed 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 GEM · 2026 · L100000101924; part of a generating complex
Verification noteQuality label backfilled from existing source-backed capacity provenance on 2026-07-05; capacity value was not changed. source-verified
OwnerKraftwerks- und Netzgesellschaft WRI
Commissioned1994 WRI
GWh reported / yr2,849 GWh·a⁻¹ WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions683,394 t CO₂·a⁻¹ modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#85 / 1442 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#46 / 124 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.74× · 296.2 MW · n=124 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

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

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000101924; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 514 MW, Rostock power station is well above the median coal plant in Germany (296.2 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:

3.8krailcars of coal burned
159kgasoline cars driven for a year
683kacres of US forest absorbing CO₂ for a year
0.48%of the CO₂ from all Germany power plants with an emissions figure in PowerAtlas

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

Key facts

Load factor
63%, from 2,849 GWh of reported generation; the median for 42 coal plants in Germany that report generation is 47%
Generation trend
2,788 GWh in 2015 and 2,849 GWh in 2017 (+2%)
Highest and lowest year
2016: 3,224 GWh; 2015: 2,788 GWh
Share of Germany coal capacity
0.8% of 64,920 MW across 124 plants in this dataset
Age among peers
88 of 117 dated coal plants in Germany are older

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

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

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

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 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.

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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