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Solvay Chalampe power station

Gas power plant in Grand Est, France. Approximate location 47.807595, 7.53385.

GasGrand EstFranceOCGTCO₂ measured

Solvay Chalampe power station is a 20 MW gas power plant in Grand Est, France. It is operated by Solvay NV [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 23k homes (estimated). It ranks #364 of 2,216 France power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2001, it is around 25 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 215,987 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 50k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 3.0% of France's electricity; the national grid averages 41 gCO₂/kWh (94.9% low-carbon) (2025).

20MW installed capacity
22,525homes powered (est.)
215,987t CO₂ / yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023))
2001commissioned (~25 yrs)

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

Data status

Known data

FacilitySolvay Chalampe power station GEM-GOGPT
CountryFrance · Grand Est GEM-GOGPT
Coordinates47.807595, 7.53385 GEM-GOGPT
FuelGas GEM-GOGPT
MW installed capacity20 MW GEM · 2026 · L100000407653; operating plant capacity
OwnerSolvay NV [100%] GEM-GOGPT
Commissioned2001 GEM-GOGPT
TechnologyOCGT GEM-GOGPT
CO₂ emissions215,987 t CO₂·a⁻¹ measured · EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#364 / 2216 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#34 / 34 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.23× · 87.2 MW · n=34 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent22,525 calculated
Climate10.0°C · HDD 2,955 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 26/100 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 · 2026 · L100000407653; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 20 MW, Solvay Chalampe power station is below the median gas plant in France (87.2 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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.

215,987 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

50kpassenger cars driven for a year
28khomes' yearly energy use
3.6 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 France

MARTIGUES PONTEAU: 998 MW998MARTIGUES …EMILE HUCHET: 826 MW826EMILE HUCH…DK6: 808 MW808DK6BOUCHAIN 7: 575 MW575BOUCHAIN 7COMBIGOLFE: 453 MW453COMBIGOLFEPont-sur-Sambre: 450 MW450Pont-sur-S…Landivisiau power station: 446 MW446Landivisia…BLENOD 5: 427 MW427BLENOD 5

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

Owner

Operated by Solvay NV [100%].

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 47.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.0°Cannual mean temp
2,955heating degree-days (base 18°C)
59cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
298 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 1 °CJF: 2 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 17 °CJJ: 19 °CJA: 19 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 10 °CON: 5 °CND: 2 °CD19 °C

Heating degree-days here run 20% 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: 61/100 — 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)
26/100environmental-severity index
17.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
441 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 #34 largest gas power plant of 34 in France by capacity.

France has 34 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 7,707 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 47.807595, 7.53385 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Solvay Chalampe power station?

Solvay Chalampe power station is a 20 MW gas power plant in Grand Est, France, commissioned in 2001.

How many homes can Solvay Chalampe power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 22,525 homes (estimated).

Who operates Solvay Chalampe power station?

Solvay Chalampe power station is operated by Solvay NV [100%].

How much CO₂ does Solvay Chalampe power station emit?

Solvay Chalampe power station has measured emissions of about 215,987 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).

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