Topar power station — Kazakhstan
Coal power plant in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Approximate location 49.51333, 72.79861.
CoalKaragandaKazakhstansubcritical
Topar power station is a 1,179 MW coal power station in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. It is operated by Topar GRES-2 LLP [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.5 million homes (estimated). It ranks #10 of 80 Kazakhstan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1962, it is around 64 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 54.3% of Kazakhstan's electricity; the national grid averages 805 gCO₂/kWh (14.9% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_topar_kazak.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 773 MW for Topar power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
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 1,179 MW, Topar power station is well above the median coal plant in Kazakhstan (435 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. 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 Kazakhstan coal capacity
- 5.6% of 20,941 MW across 32 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 4 of 27 dated coal plants in Kazakhstan are older
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 Kazakhstan
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Topar GRES-2 LLP [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 warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 49.5°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 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 #6 largest coal power plant of 32 in Kazakhstan by capacity.
Kazakhstan has 32 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 20,941 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Saran · Solar · 100 MW · Qaraghandy
- Karaganda TETS 1 · Coal · 475 MW · Qaraghandy
- Karaganda TPS-3 power station · Coal · 590 MW · Qaraghandy
- Karaganda Steel Works power station · Gas · 185 MW · Karaganda
- Karaganda TPS-2 power station · Coal · 435 MW · Qaraghandy
- Karaganda-1 power station · Coal · 84 MW · Karaganda
Location
Coordinates 49.51333, 72.79861 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Topar power station?
Topar power station is a 1,179 MW coal power plant in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, commissioned in 1962.
Who operates Topar power station?
Topar power station is operated by Topar GRES-2 LLP [100%].