Sampur power station is a 1,700 MW coal power station in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. It is operated by Trincomalee Power Co Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.1 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 55 Sri Lanka power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 27.5% of Sri Lanka's electricity; the national grid averages 329 gCO₂/kWh (61.6% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_sampur_srila.
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 1,700 MW, Sampur power station is well above the median coal plant in Sri Lanka (1,200 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.
Key facts
- Share of Sri Lanka coal capacity
- 27.4% of 6,200 MW across 6 plants in this dataset
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 Sri Lanka
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Trincomalee Power Co Ltd [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 tropical savanna climate (Köppen As) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.5°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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion 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 #1 largest coal power plant of 6 in Sri Lanka by capacity.
Sri Lanka has 6 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 6,200 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Foul Point power station · Coal · 600 MW · Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 300 MW · Trincomalee
- Moragahakanda · Hydro · 25 MW · Central
- Bowatenna · Hydro · 40 MW · Central
- Inginiyagala · Hydro · 11 MW · Central
- Ukuwela · Hydro · 40 MW · Central
Location
Coordinates 8.486111, 81.3 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Sampur power station?
Sampur power station is a 1,700 MW coal power plant in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
Who operates Sampur power station?
Sampur power station is operated by Trincomalee Power Co Ltd [100%].