Ruien power station is a 550 MW coal power station in West Flanders, Belgium. It is operated by Electrabel NV/SA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 688k homes (estimated). It ranks #10 of 95 Belgium power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1966, it is around 60 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 0.0% of Belgium's electricity; the national grid averages 150 gCO₂/kWh (72.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_ruien_belgi.
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 550 MW, Ruien power station is well above the median coal plant in Belgium (255 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 Belgium coal capacity
- 18.1% of 3,045 MW across 7 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 3 of 7 dated coal plants in Belgium 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 Belgium
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Electrabel NV/SA [100%].
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 50.8°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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #2 largest coal power plant of 7 in Belgium by capacity.
Belgium has 7 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 3,045 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- A&U Energie power station · Biomass · 20 MW · Flanders
- A&S Energie power station · Biomass · 25 MW · Flanders
- Izegem power station · Gas · 20 MW · West Flanders
- Deux-Acren TJ · Oil · 18.6 MW · Wallonia
- Incinerateur THUMAIDE (IPALLE) · Waste · 32 MW · Wallonia
- Marquette-lez-Lille · Biomass · 1.25 MW · Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Location
Coordinates 50.78342, 3.488385 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Ruien power station?
Ruien power station is a 550 MW coal power plant in West Flanders, Belgium, commissioned in 1966.
Who operates Ruien power station?
Ruien power station is operated by Electrabel NV/SA [100%].