Westfalen is a 1,049 MW coal power station in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by Kraftwerksgesellschaft Steinkohlendoppelblock Westfalen GmbH & Co. KG (GEKKO). Based on reported annual generation of 3,446 GWh, it can supply roughly 984k homes. It ranks #40 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2014, it is around 12 years old — relatively modern. In context, coal supplies about 20.6% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1006141.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
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: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,049 MW, Westfalen is well above the median coal plant in Germany (296.2 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
- Load factor
- 37%, from 3,446 GWh of reported generation; the median for 42 coal plants in Germany that report generation is 47%
- Generation trend
- 4,474 GWh in 2015 and 3,446 GWh in 2017 (−23%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2015: 4,474 GWh; 2017: 3,446 GWh
- Share of Germany coal capacity
- 1.6% of 64,920 MW across 124 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 113 of 117 dated coal plants in Germany are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Kraftwerksgesellschaft Steinkohlendoppelblock Westfalen GmbH & Co. KG (GEKKO).
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 51.7°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 31% 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: 69/100 — this site sits in the top 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 #20 largest coal power plant of 124 in Germany by capacity.
Germany has 124 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 64,920 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- THTR-300 nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 308 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Trianel Natural Gaskraftwerk · Gas · 838 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Trianel Hamm power station · Gas · 838 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- MVA Hamm · Waste · 14.6 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Gersteinwerk · Gas · 2,004.5 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
- Bergkamen power station · Coal · 717 MW · North Rhine-Westphalia
Location
Coordinates 51.6805, 7.9696 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Westfalen?
Westfalen is a 1,049 MW coal power plant in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, commissioned in 2014.
How much electricity does Westfalen generate?
Westfalen generates about 3,446 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Westfalen?
Westfalen is operated by Kraftwerksgesellschaft Steinkohlendoppelblock Westfalen GmbH & Co. KG (GEKKO).