Rugeley power station — United Kingdom
Coal power plant in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Approximate location 52.757445, -1.919979.
CoalStaffordshireUnited Kingdomsubcritical
Rugeley power station is a 1,094 MW coal power station in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It is operated by ENGIE SA; Mitsui & Co Ltd. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #46 of 2,860 United Kingdom power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1972, it is around 54 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 0.1% of United Kingdom's electricity; the national grid averages 217 gCO₂/kWh (64.4% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_rugeley_unite.
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 1,094 MW, Rugeley power station is around the median coal plant in United Kingdom (1,140 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. 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 United Kingdom coal capacity
- 3.1% of 35,428 MW across 23 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 16 of 22 dated coal plants in United Kingdom are older
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 United Kingdom
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by ENGIE SA; Mitsui & Co Ltd.
Climate zone & how it works
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 52.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
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.
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 #13 largest coal power plant of 23 in United Kingdom by capacity.
United Kingdom has 23 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 35,428 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Rugeley East power station · Gas · 50 MW · Staffordshire
- Poplars Anaerobic Digestion Facility (Waste AD) · Biomass · 6 MW · England
- Blakenhall Park Solar Farm · Solar · 1.8 MW · England
- Huddlesford Farm · Solar · 1 MW · England
- Park Lane · Solar · 1 MW · England
- Rodbaston · Wind · 2.1 MW · England
Location
Coordinates 52.757445, -1.919979 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Rugeley power station?
Rugeley power station is a 1,094 MW coal power plant in Staffordshire, United Kingdom, commissioned in 1972.
Who operates Rugeley power station?
Rugeley power station is operated by ENGIE SA; Mitsui & Co Ltd.