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Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant

Gas power plant in Sarawak, Malaysia. Approximate location 3.53764, 113.31502.

GasSarawakMalaysiaOCGTConstruction

Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant is a 1,000 MW gas power station in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is operated by State of Sarawak. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.1 million homes (estimated). It ranks #21 of 82 Malaysia power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 33.8% of Malaysia's electricity; the national grid averages 602 gCO₂/kWh (20.7% low-carbon) (2025).

1,000MW installed capacity
1,126,285homes powered (est.)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilitySamalaju Combined Cycle power plant GEM-GOGPT
CountryMalaysia · Sarawak GEM-GOGPT
Coordinates3.53764, 113.31502 GEM-GOGPT
FuelGas GEM-GOGPT
MW installed capacity1,000 MW GEM GOGPT; source record
OwnerState of Sarawak GEM-GOGPT
TechnologyOCGT GEM-GOGPT

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions1,576,800 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#21 / 82 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#14 / 42 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.54× · 650 MW · n=42 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,126,285 calculated
Environmental severityC4 · 41/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: GEM GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,000 MW, Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant is well above the median gas plant in Malaysia (650 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. Its current lifecycle status is “Construction” — so it is not yet, or no longer, generating at full output. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Malaysia

Kedah (THB Power) power station: 2,600 MW3kKedah (THB…Kapar Energy Ventures (KEV): 2,420 MW2kKapar Ener…Alor Gajah (Melaka) power station: 2,242 MW2kAlor Gajah…Pengerang Co-generation plant: 1,900 MW2kPengerang …Pulau Bunting power station: 1,600 MW2kPulau Bunt…Pasir Gudang SIPP power station: 1,440 MW1kPasir Guda…Port Dickson Power Station: 1,400 MW1kPort Dicks…Segari: 1,304 MW1kSegari

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by State of Sarawak.

Climate zone & how it works

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 3.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~26°Ctypical annual mean
~27°Ctypical warm-season mean
Tropical rainforest: hot and humid year-round with little seasonal variation

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
1.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
57 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 #14 largest gas power plant of 42 in Malaysia by capacity.

Malaysia has 42 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 32,464 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 3.53764, 113.31502 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant?

Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant is a 1,000 MW gas power plant in Sarawak, Malaysia.

How many homes can Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,126,285 homes (estimated).

Who operates Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant?

Samalaju Combined Cycle power plant is operated by State of Sarawak.

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