TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration — Canada
Gas power plant in Michigan, Canada. Approximate location 42.9346, -82.4381.
GasMichiganCanada
TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration is a 444 MW gas power station in Michigan, Canada. It is operated by TransAlta Generation Partnership An Alberta General Partnership of TransAlta Generation Ltd and TransAlta Corp. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 500k homes (estimated). It ranks #94 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 17.8% 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 CAN0002090.
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 499 MW for Sarnia cogeneration plant, 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: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 444 MW, TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration is well above the median gas plant in Canada (170 MW). 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.
Key facts
- Share of Canada gas capacity
- 1.2% of 37,176 MW across 112 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 gas plants in Canada
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by TransAlta Generation Partnership An Alberta General Partnership of TransAlta Generation Ltd and TransAlta Corp.
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 warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.9°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 50% 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: 80/100 — this site sits in the top 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
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), 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 #25 largest gas power plant of 112 in Canada by capacity.
Canada has 112 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 37,176 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Marysville Power Plant · Coal · 150 MW · Michigan
- Sarnia Refinery power station · Gas · 90 MW · Ontario
- St. Clair · Gas · 584 MW · Michigan
- E.B. Eddy Paper Inc · Gas · 5 MW · Michigan
- St. Clair Moore · Solar · 20 MW · Michigan
- Sarnia 1 · Solar · 20 MW · Ontario
Location
Coordinates 42.9346, -82.4381 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration?
TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration is a 444 MW gas power plant in Michigan, Canada.
Who operates TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration?
TransAlta Sarnia Cogeneration is operated by TransAlta Generation Partnership An Alberta General Partnership of TransAlta Generation Ltd and TransAlta Corp.