Sundance — Canada
Coal power plant in Alberta, Canada. Approximate location 53.5075, -114.5569.
CoalAlbertaCanada
Sundance is a 2,141 MW coal power station in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by TransAlta. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.7 million homes (estimated). It ranks #13 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. In context, coal supplies about 4.1% of Canada's electricity; the national grid averages 191 gCO₂/kWh (77.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CAN0002088.
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: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,141 MW, Sundance is well above the median coal plant in Canada (540 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 Canada coal capacity
- 14.9% of 14,386 MW across 20 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 Canada
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by TransAlta. 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 subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 53.5°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 121% 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: 96/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #1 largest coal power plant of 20 in Canada by capacity.
Canada has 20 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 14,386 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Alberta Sundance power station · Gas · 2,121 MW · Alberta
- Wabamun power station · Coal · 537 MW · Alberta
- Keephills · Coal · 1,253 MW · Alberta
- Genesee · Coal · 1,857 MW · Alberta
- Genesee Data Centre Project power station · Gas · 1,500 MW · Alberta
- Alsike power plant · Gas · 340 MW · Alberta
Location
Coordinates 53.5075, -114.5569 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Sundance?
Sundance is a 2,141 MW coal power plant in Alberta, Canada.
Who operates Sundance?
Sundance is operated by TransAlta.