Samcheok Green power station — South Korea
Coal power plant in Gangwon-do, South Korea. Approximate location 37.186, 129.3418.
CoalGangwon-doSouth Koreaultra-supercriticalCO₂ modelled
Samcheok Green power station is a 2,044 MW coal power station in Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea Southern Power. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.6 million homes (estimated). It ranks #21 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2016, it is around 10 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 9,178,400 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 2.1 million cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 31.1% of South Korea's electricity; the national grid averages 417 gCO₂/kWh (40.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1075821.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
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 · L100000103463; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,044 MW, Samcheok Green power station is well above the median coal plant in South Korea (400 MW). Technically it is described as ultra-supercritical. 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.
~9,178,400 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of South Korea coal capacity
- 4.4% of 46,928 MW across 34 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 11 of 25 dated coal plants in South Korea 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 South Korea
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Korea Southern Power. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 1% 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: 50/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 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 #9 largest coal power plant of 34 in South Korea by capacity.
South Korea has 34 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 46,928 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Hanul · Nuclear · 6,226 MW · Gangwon-do
- Daejin nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 3,000 MW · Gangwon
- Seokmun power station · Biomass · 39 MW · Gangwon-do
- Samcheok Blue power station · Coal · 1,050 MW · Gangwon-do
- Samcheok Anthracite power station · Coal · 100 MW · Gangwon
- Taebaek Wind park · Wind · 18 MW · Gangwon-do
Location
Coordinates 37.186, 129.3418 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Samcheok Green power station?
Samcheok Green power station is a 2,044 MW coal power plant in Gangwon-do, South Korea, commissioned in 2016.
Who operates Samcheok Green power station?
Samcheok Green power station is operated by Korea Southern Power.
How much CO₂ does Samcheok Green power station emit?
Samcheok Green power station has modelled emissions of about 9,178,400 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).