Wels District Heating power station is a 43 MW gas power plant in Upper Austria, Austria. It is operated by Wels Strom GmbH. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 48k homes (estimated). It ranks #66 of 131 Austria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2000, it is around 26 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 50,519 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 12k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 11.9% of Austria's electricity; the national grid averages 117 gCO₂/kWh (83.6% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-396.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source 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: Climate TRACE; fuel: Climate TRACE
In context: how this plant compares
At 43 MW, Wels District Heating power station is below the median gas plant in Austria (153 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.
~50,519 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of Austria gas capacity
- 0.9% of 4,974 MW across 15 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 4 of 14 dated gas plants in Austria are older
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 Austria
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Wels Strom GmbH.
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 temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 48.2°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 37% 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: 73/100 — 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 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 #14 largest gas power plant of 15 in Austria by capacity.
Austria has 15 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 4,974 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Wels Waste power station · Biomass · 31 MW · Upper Austria
- Weyer · Hydro · 37 MW · Upper Austria
- Ottensheim-Wilhering · Hydro · 179 MW · Upper Austria
- Laakirchen Paper Mill power station · Gas · 60 MW · Oberösterreich
- Steyrermuhl Paper Mill power station · Other · 87.7 MW · Upper Austria
- Aschach · Hydro · 287 MW · Upper Austria
Location
Coordinates 48.1517, 14.0075 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Wels District Heating power station?
Wels District Heating power station is a 43 MW gas power plant in Upper Austria, Austria, commissioned in 2000.
Who operates Wels District Heating power station?
Wels District Heating power station is operated by Wels Strom GmbH.
How much CO₂ does Wels District Heating power station emit?
Wels District Heating power station has modelled emissions of about 50,519 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).