Seocheon — South Korea
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).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000194.
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.
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).
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
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:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of South Korea coal capacity
- 0.9% of 46,928 MW across 34 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 3 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 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.
Monthly mean temperature
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
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), 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 #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
- Gunsan power station · Coal · 222 MW · Jeollabuk-do
- SGC Green Power power station · Biomass · 100 MW · Jeollabuk-do
- Seagull power station · Coal · 361 MW · Jeollabuk-do
- Saemangeum Ocise · Coal · 304 MW · Jeollabuk-do
- Saemangeum CHP power station · Coal · 304 MW · Jeollabuk-do
- KEPCO Gunsan power station · Coal · 75 MW · North Jeolla
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 coal power plant in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, commissioned in 1983.
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).