Vaires power station is a 600 MW oil power station in Seine-et-Marne, France. It is operated by Electricité de France SA [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 451k homes (estimated). It ranks #35 of 2,216 France power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2008, it is around 18 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 99,955 t CO₂/yr (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)) are equivalent to about 23k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 1.8% of France's electricity; the national grid averages 41 gCO₂/kWh (94.9% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_vaires_france.
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 GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 600 MW, Vaires power station is well above the median oil plant in France (133 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
99,955 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023) (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).
Key facts
- Share of France oil capacity
- 10.1% of 5,920 MW across 18 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 11 of 14 dated oil plants in France are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in France
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Electricité de France SA [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 48.9°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 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: 56/100 — 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
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), 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 oil power plant of 18 in France by capacity.
France has 18 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 5,920 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes · Biomass · 11.5 MW · Ile-de-France
- Vitry power station · Coal · 540 MW · Val-de-Marne
- Vitry-sur-Seine cogeneration power station · Gas · 125 MW · Ile-de-France
- Meaux power station · Gas · 30 MW · Ile-de-France
- Ivry-Paris XIII power station · Biomass · 64 MW · Ile-de-France
- ARRIGHI · Oil · 254 MW · Ile-de-France
Location
Coordinates 48.873643, 2.655851 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Vaires power station?
Vaires power station is a 600 MW oil power plant in Seine-et-Marne, France, commissioned in 2008.
Who operates Vaires power station?
Vaires power station is operated by Electricité de France SA [100%].
How much CO₂ does Vaires power station emit?
Vaires power station has measured emissions of about 99,955 tonnes of CO₂ per year (EU ETS verified (EUTL 2023)).