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Skaerbaekvaerket

Gas power plant in South Denmark, Denmark. Approximate location 55.513, 9.6128.

GasSouth DenmarkDenmarkCO₂ measured

Skaerbaekvaerket is a 392 MW gas power station in South Denmark, Denmark. Based on reported annual generation of 400 GWh, it can supply roughly 114k homes. It ranks #8 of 57 Denmark power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1997, it is around 29 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 78,785 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 18k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 2.4% of Denmark's electricity; the national grid averages 114 gCO₂/kWh (91.2% low-carbon) (2025).

392Legacy source-record capacity
400GWh reported / yr
114,285homes powered
78,785t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
1997commissioned (~29 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1022034.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySkaerbaekvaerket WRI
CountryDenmark · South Denmark WRI
Coordinates55.513, 9.6128 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity392 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
Commissioned1997 WRI
GWh reported / yr400 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions78,785 t CO₂/yr measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#8 of 57 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1 of 12 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers7.13× · 55 MW median · 12 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent114,285 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.1°C · HDD 3,594 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 27/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

OwnerNot available not in dataset
TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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 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 392 MW, Skaerbaekvaerket is well above the median gas plant in Denmark (55 MW). 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.

78,785 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

18kpassenger cars driven for a year
10khomes' yearly energy use
1.3 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).

Reported generation trend

2015: 602 GWh20152016: 476 GWh20162017: 400 GWh2017602 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

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 55.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.1°Cannual mean temp
3,594heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
10 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 1 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 6 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 16 °CJA: 16 °CAS: 13 °CSO: 9 °CON: 5 °CND: 3 °CD16 °C

Heating degree-days here run 46% 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: 78/100 — this site sits in the top 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
27/100environmental-severity index
15.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
89 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 12 in Denmark by capacity.

Denmark has 12 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 1,206 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 55.513, 9.6128 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Skaerbaekvaerket?

Skaerbaekvaerket is a 392 MW source-record gas power plant in South Denmark, Denmark, commissioned in 1997.

How much electricity does Skaerbaekvaerket generate?

Skaerbaekvaerket generates about 400 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Skaerbaekvaerket power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 114,285 homes.

How much CO₂ does Skaerbaekvaerket emit?

Skaerbaekvaerket has measured emissions of about 78,785 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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