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Seocheon

Coal power plant in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. Approximate location 36.1358, 126.4961.

CoalChungcheongnam-doSouth Koreaultra-supercriticalCO₂ modelled

Seocheon is a 400 MW coal power station in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. It is operated by Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 501k homes (estimated). It ranks #91 of 216 South Korea power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1983, it is around 43 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 2,921,200 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 681k 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).

400Legacy source-record capacity
500,571homes powered (est.)
2,921,200t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1983commissioned (~43 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000194.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySeocheon WRI
CountrySouth Korea · Chungcheongnam-do WRI
Coordinates36.1358, 126.4961 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity400 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerKorea Midland Power (KOMIPO) WRI
Commissioned1983 WRI
Technologyultra-supercritical WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions2,921,200 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#91 of 216 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#18 of 34 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.00× · 400 MW median · 34 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent500,571 calculated
Climate12.4°C · HDD 2,622 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 40/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,018 MW for Shin Seocheon power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Capacity claim grade: B_SCOPE_PARENT_COMPLEX - recommended action: build_parent_complex_model - confidence: not_comparable_without_scope. This follows a claim-based data model: value + scope + source + confidence, rather than silently overwriting records.

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: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 400 MW, Seocheon is around 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.

~2,921,200 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

681kpassenger cars driven for a year
381khomes' yearly energy use
49 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Capacity vs largest coal plants in South Korea

Dangjin: 6,040 MW6kDangjinTaean: 5,946 MW6kTaeanYeongheung: 5,080 MW5kYeongheungBoryeong (poryang): 4,400 MW4kBoryeong (…Hadong: 4,000 MW4kHadongSamcheonpo: 3,240 MW3kSamcheonpoGoseong Green power station: 2,080 MW2kGoseong Gr…Anin power station: 2,080 MW2kAnin power…

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

Owner

Operated by Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO). 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 36.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

12.4°Cannual mean temp
2,622heating degree-days (base 18°C)
605cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
49 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 5 °CMA: 11 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 25 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 21 °CSO: 15 °CON: 8 °CND: 2 °CD26 °C

Heating degree-days here run 7% 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: 53/100 — 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

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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
40/100environmental-severity index
26.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
50 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 #18 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

Location

Coordinates 36.1358, 126.4961 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Seocheon?

Seocheon is a 400 MW source-record coal power plant in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, commissioned in 1983.

How many homes can Seocheon power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 500,571 homes (estimated).

Who operates Seocheon?

Seocheon is operated by Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO).

How much CO₂ does Seocheon emit?

Seocheon has modelled emissions of about 2,921,200 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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