Southern Coal Power Project is a 1,200 MW coal power station in Badulla, Sri Lanka. It is operated by Ceylon Electricity Board [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.5 million homes (estimated). It ranks #3 of 55 Sri Lanka power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 27.5% of Sri Lanka's electricity; the national grid averages 329 gCO₂/kWh (61.6% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_southerncoal_srila.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,200 MW, Southern Coal Power Project is around the median coal plant in Sri Lanka (1,200 MW). 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.
Key facts
- Share of Sri Lanka coal capacity
- 19.4% of 6,200 MW across 6 plants in this dataset
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 Sri Lanka
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Ceylon Electricity Board [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 7.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 #3 largest coal power plant of 6 in Sri Lanka by capacity.
Sri Lanka has 6 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 6,200 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- CEB Long Term Generation Expansion Plan unnamed plants · Coal · 1,200 MW · Badulla
- Rantembe · Hydro · 52 MW · Uva
- Randenigala · Hydro · 122 MW · Uva
- Ambewela Aitken Spence · Wind · 3 MW · Central
- Victoria · Hydro · 210 MW · Central
- Upper Kotmale · Hydro · 150 MW · Central
Location
Coordinates 7.0, 81.0 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Southern Coal Power Project?
Southern Coal Power Project is a 1,200 MW coal power plant in Badulla, Sri Lanka.
Who operates Southern Coal Power Project?
Southern Coal Power Project is operated by Ceylon Electricity Board [100%].