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Simmering

Gas power plant in Lower Austria, Austria. Approximate location 48.1815, 16.4334.

GasLower AustriaAustriaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Simmering is a 1,240 MW gas power station in Lower Austria, Austria. It is operated by Wien Energie. Based on reported annual generation of 2,430 GWh, it can supply roughly 694k homes. It ranks #1 of 131 Austria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 963,698 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 225k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 11.9% of Austria's electricity; the national grid averages 117 gCO₂/kWh (83.6% low-carbon) (2025).

1,240Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
2,430GWh reported / yr
694,171homes powered
963,698t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
2009commissioned (~17 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1019147.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySimmering WRI
CountryAustria · Lower Austria WRI
Coordinates48.1815, 16.4334 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,240 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerWien Energie WRI
Commissioned2009 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr2,430 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions963,698 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#1 of 131 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1 of 15 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers8.10× · 153 MW median · 15 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent694,171 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.1°C · HDD 3,005 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 27/100 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.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000400010); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,240 MW, Simmering is well above the median gas plant in Austria (153 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

963,698 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

225kpassenger cars driven for a year
126khomes' yearly energy use
16 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Austria

Simmering: 1,240 MW1kSimmeringMellach power station: 1,084 MW1kMellach po…Theiss power station: 725 MW725Theiss pow…Timelkam: 400 MW400TimelkamDonaustadt: 395 MW395DonaustadtLinz Mitte power station: 217 MW217Linz Mitte…Linz Süd power station: 172 MW172Linz Süd p…Werk Linz power station: 153 MW153Werk Linz …

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

Owner

Operated by Wien Energie.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 48.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.1°Cannual mean temp
3,005heating degree-days (base 18°C)
128cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
172 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 0 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 18 °CJJ: 20 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 4 °CND: 1 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 22% 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: 63/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
27/100environmental-severity index
20.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
365 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 #1 largest gas power plant of 15 in Austria by capacity.

Austria has 15 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 4,974 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 48.1815, 16.4334 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Simmering?

Simmering is a 1,240 MW source-record gas power plant in Lower Austria, Austria, commissioned in 2009.

How much electricity does Simmering generate?

Simmering generates about 2,430 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Simmering power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 694,171 homes.

Who operates Simmering?

Simmering is operated by Wien Energie.

How much CO₂ does Simmering emit?

Simmering has measured emissions of about 963,698 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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