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Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW

Wind power plant in Flanders, Belgium. Approximate location 51.54, 2.921.

WindFlandersBelgiumOffshore hard mount

Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW is a 178 MW wind power station in Flanders, Belgium. It is operated by C-Power [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 568 GWh, it can supply roughly 162k homes. It ranks #28 of 95 Belgium power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 18.8% of Belgium's electricity; the national grid averages 150 gCO₂/kWh (72.0% low-carbon) (2025).

178Legacy source-record capacity
568GWh reported / yr
162,257homes powered
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002274.

Data status

Known data

FacilityThorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW WRI
CountryBelgium · Flanders WRI
Coordinates51.54, 2.921 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity178 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerC-Power [100%] WRI
Commissioned2013 WRI
TechnologyOffshore hard mount WRI
GWh reported / yr568 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#28 of 95 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 12 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers7.10× · 25 MW median · 12 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent162,257 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.3°C · HDD 2,782 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 32/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 178 MW, Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW is well above the median wind plant in Belgium (25 MW). Technically it is described as Offshore hard mount. Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2015: 583 GWh20152016: 538 GWh20162017: 568 GWh2017583 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by C-Power [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 51.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.3°Cannual mean temp
2,782heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
5 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 4 °CJF: 4 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 18 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 12 °CON: 8 °CND: 5 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 13% 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: 57/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
13.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
45 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 #2 largest wind power plant of 12 in Belgium by capacity.

Belgium has 12 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 876 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 51.54, 2.921 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW?

Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW is a 178 MW source-record wind power plant in Flanders, Belgium, commissioned in 2013.

How much electricity does Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW generate?

Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW generates about 568 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 162,257 homes.

Who operates Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW?

Thorntonbank - C-Power - Area SW is operated by C-Power [100%].

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