View source for List of least carbon efficient power stations

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This is a '''list of least carbon efficient power stations''' in selected countries. Lists were created by the [[WWF (conservation organization)|WWF]] and lists the most polluting [[power station]]s in terms of the level of [[carbon dioxide]] produced per unit of electricity generated.  In general [[lignite]] burning [[coal-fired power station]]s with subcritical [[Pulverized coal-fired boiler|boilers]] (in which bubbles form in contrast to the newer [[supercritical steam generator]]) emit the most.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kittel|first1=Martin|last2=Goeke|first2=Leonard|last3=Kemfert|first3=Claudia|last4=Oei|first4=Pao-Yu|last5=von Hirschhausen|first5=Christian|date=2020-04-20|title=Scenarios for Coal-Exit in Germany—A Model-Based Analysis and Implications in the European Context|journal=Energies|language=en|volume=13|issue=8|pages=2041|doi=10.3390/en13082041|issn=1996-1073|doi-access=free|hdl=10419/222434|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Witkop|first=Nathan|date=11 May 2020|title=Old German lignite units have entered death zone|url=http://www.montelnews.com/en/story/old-german-lignite-units-have-entered-death-zone-/1113616|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Montel News}}</ref> The [[Chinese national carbon trading scheme]] may follow the [[European Union Emission Trading Scheme]] in making such power stations uneconomic to run.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Slater|first=Huw|date=5 May 2020|title=Despite headwinds, China prepares for world's largest carbon market|url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/despite-headwinds-china-prepares-world-s-largest-carbon-market|access-date=2020-06-10|website=The Interpreter|publisher=The Lowy Institute|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=International Carbon Action Partnership|date=5 May 2021|title=China National ETS|url=https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/?option=com_etsmap&task=export&format=pdf&layout=list&systems%5B%5D=55|access-date=8 May 2021}}</ref> However some companies such as [[NLC India Limited]] and [[Electricity Generation Company (Turkey)]] generate in countries without a [[carbon price]]. Lignite power stations built or retrofitted before 1995 often also emit local [[air pollution]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tuzla 7 lignite power plant, Bosnia and Herzegovina|url=https://bankwatch.org/project/tuzla-7-lignite-power-plant-bosnia-and-herzegovina-2|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Bankwatch|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Balkan Green Energy News|date=2019-11-04|title=KEK to get EUR 76 million grant to cut pollution from Kosovo B power plant|url=https://balkangreenenergynews.com/kek-to-get-eur-76-million-grant-to-cut-pollution-from-kosovo-b-power-plant/|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Balkan Green Energy News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mohan|first=Vishwa|title=CPCB threatens to shut down 14 coal-fired power plants which failed to limit emissions|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/pollution/cpcb-threatens-to-shut-down-14-coal-fired-power-plants-which-failed-to-limit-emissions/articleshow/73968247.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2020-06-10}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In early 2021 the [[EU Allowance|EU carbon price]] rose above 50 euros per tonne, causing many of the European plants listed below to become unprofitable,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-04|title=EU carbon price breaches record €50 per tonne mark|url=https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4030740/eu-carbon-price-breaches-record-eur-tonne-mark|access-date=2021-05-09|website=www.businessgreen.com|language=en}}</ref> and close down.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The new EU climate target could phase out coal power in Europe as early as 2030|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210427094822.htm|access-date=2021-05-09|website=ScienceDaily|language=en}}</ref> However, because many countries outside Europe and the USA do not publish plant level emissions data it was difficult to make up to date lists. Public information from [[space-based measurements of carbon dioxide]] by [[Climate Trace]] is expected to quantify {{CO2}} from individual large plants before the [[2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference]],<ref>{{Cite news|title=Transcript: The Path Forward: Al Gore on Climate and the Economy|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/04/22/transcript-path-forward-al-gore-climate-economy/|access-date=2021-05-06|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> thus enabling large polluters to be identified.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A tidal wave of new carbon emissions data soon will be upon us {{!}} Greenbiz|url=https://www.greenbiz.com/article/tidal-wave-new-carbon-emissions-data-soon-will-be-upon-us|access-date=2021-05-09|website=www.greenbiz.com|language=en}}</ref>

== 2015 report - companies ==
In 2015 the Stranded Assets Programme at the [[University of Oxford]]’s [[Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment]] published Stranded Assets and Subcritical Coal report analyzing inter alia carbon intensity of [[Coal-fired power station#Efficiency|subcritical]] coal-fired power stations of 100 largest companies having these power stations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Caldecott|first1=Ben|url=https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/research/sustainable-finance/publications/Stranded-Assets-and-Subcritical-Coal.pdf|title=Stranded Assets and Subcritical Coal: The Risk to Companies and Investors|last2=Dericks|first2=Gerard|last3=Mitchell|first3=James|date=March 2015|isbn=978-0-9927618-1-3}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
! {{CO2}} intensity<br>(kg/kWh)
! Company
! Country
! Number of SCPS
|-
| 1.447
| [[NLC India Limited]]
| {{IND}}
| 2
|-
| 1.342
| [[Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company Limited]]
| {{IND}}
| 3
|-
| 1.279
| [[GDF Suez]]
| {{FRA}}
| 10
|-
| 1.277
| [[Kazakhmys]]
| {{KAZ}}
| 4
|-
| 1.269
| [[West Bengal Power Development Corporation]]
| {{IND}}
| 5
|-
| 1.253
| [[OGK-2]]
| {{RUS}}
| 4
|-
| 1.243
| [[Maharashtra State Power Generation Company]]
| {{IND}}
| 7
|-
| 1.240
| [[Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand]]
| {{THA}}
| 4
|-
| 1.226
| [[Termoelectrica]]
| {{ROM}}
| 17
|-
|1.222
|[[RAO UES]]
|{{RUS}}
|23
|-
|1.220
|[[ČEZ Group]]
|{{CZE}}
|13
|}

== 2005 report - power station from 30 industrialised countries ==
<ref>[http://www.wwf.org.au/News_and_information/News_room/View_news/223 WWF Australia: Hazelwood tops international list of dirty power stations], Dated: 13 Jul 2005</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! {{CO2}} intensity<br>(kg/kWh)
! Power station
! Country
!Note
|-
| 1.58
| [[Hazelwood Power Station]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]]
| {{AUS}}
|closed in 2017
|-
| 1.56
| [[Edwardsport IGCC]], [[Edwardsport, Indiana]]
| {{USA}}
|closed in 2012
|-
| 1.27
| [[Frimmersdorf Power Station|Frimmersdorf power plant]], [[Grevenbroich]]
| {{GER}}
|closed in 2017
|-
| 1.25
| [[H. R. Milner Generating Station|HR Milner Generating Station]], [[Grande Cache]], [[Alberta]], 
| {{CAN}}
|converted to gas in 2020
|-
| 1.18
| [[Emilio Portes Gil Power Station|Emilio Portes Gil]], [[Río Bravo, Tamaulipas|Río Bravo]]
| {{MEX}}
|
|-
| 1.09
| [[Bełchatów Power Station]], [[Bełchatów]]
| {{POL}}
|
|-
| 1.07
| [[Prunéřov Power Station]], [[Kadaň]]
| {{CZE}}
|partially closed
|-
| 1.02
| {{Interlanguage link|Niihamanishi Power Station|lt=Niihamanishi|ja|新居浜西火力発電所}}, [[Niihama, Ehime|Niihama]]
| {{JPN}}
|
|}

== 2007 list - Europe ==
<ref>[http://assets.panda.org/downloads/european_dirty_thirty_may_2007.pdf Dirty Thirty, May 2007]</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! {{CO2}} intensity (kg/kWh) !! Power Station, Location !! Country !! Fuel !! Emissions (Mt{{CO2|link=yes}})
|-
| 1.350 || |[[Agios Dimitrios Power Station]], [[Agios Dimitrios, Kozani]] || {{GRE}} || [[Lignite]] || 12.4
|-
| 1.250 || [[Kardia Power Station]], [[Kardia Kozanis]] || {{GRE}} || [[Lignite]] || 8.8 
|-
| 1.200 || [[Niederaussem Power Station]], [[Niederaussem]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 27.4 
|-
| 1.200 || |[[Jänschwalde Power Station]], [[Jänschwalde]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 23.7 
|-
| 1.187 || [[Frimmersdorf Power Station]], [[Grevenbroich]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 19.3 
|-
| 1.180 || [[Weisweiler Power Station]], [[Eschweiler]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 18.8 
|-
| 1.150 || [[Neurath Power Station]], [[Grevenbroich]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 17.9 
|-
| 1.150 || [[Turów Power Station]], [[Bogatynia]]  || {{POL}} || [[Lignite]] || 13.0 
|-
| 1.150 || |[[As Pontes Power Station]], [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]] || {{ESP}} || [[Lignite]] || 9.1 
|-
| 1.100 || [[Boxberg Power Station]], [[Boxberg, Saxony]] || {{GER}} || [[Lignite]] || 15.5 
|-
| 1.090 || [[Bełchatów Power Station]], [[Bełchatów]] || {{POL}} || [[Lignite]] || 30.1 
|-
| 1.070 || [[Prunéřov Power Station]], [[Prunéřov]] || {{CZE}} || [[Lignite]] || 8.9 
|-
| 1.050 || [[Sines Power Station]], [[Sines]] || {{PRT}} || [[Hard Coal]] || 8.7  
|-
| 1.000 || [[Schwarze Pumpe power station]], [[Spremberg]] || {{DEU}} || [[Lignite]] || 12.2 
|}

== 2018 - largest emitters ==
The table lists the largest emitters, regardless of their carbon efficiency.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Grant|first1=Don|last2=Zelinka|first2=David|last3=Mitova|first3=Stefania|date=2021|title=Reducing {{CO2}} emissions by targeting the world's hyper-polluting power plants|journal=Environmental Research Letters|volume=16|issue=9|page=094022|language=en|doi=10.1088/1748-9326/ac13f1|bibcode=2021ERL....16i4022G|issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! {{CO2}} intensity (kg/kWh) !! Power Station !! Country !! 2018 emissions (Mt{{CO2}})
|-
|1.8
| [[Bełchatów Power Station|Bełchatów]] || {{POL}} || 38
|-
|1.5
|[[Vindhyachal Thermal Power Station|Vindhyachal]]
|{{IND}}
|34
|-
|1.5
|[[Dangjin Power Station|Dangjin]]
|{{KOR}}
|34
|-
|1.5
|[[Taean Power Station|Taean]]
|{{KOR}}
|31
|-
|1.3
|[[Taichung Power Plant|Taichung]]
|{{flaglist|Taiwan}}
|30
|-
|1.5
|[[Tuoketuo Power Station|Tuoketuo]]
|{{CHN}}
|30
|-
|1.5
| [[Niederaussem Power Station|Niederaussem]]|| {{GER}} || 27 
|-
|1.4
|[[Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project|Sasan]]
|{{IND}}
|27
|-
|1.5
|[[Yonghungdo Power Station|Yonghungdo]]
|{{KOR}}
|27
|-
|1.4
|[[Hekinan Thermal Power Station|Hekinan]]
|{{JPN}}
|27
|}

== Other ==
At over 1.34 tCO2-e/MWh [[Yallourn Power Station|Yallourn]] is the most carbon intense in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-21|title=Yallourn, Australia's dirtiest power|url=https://environmentvictoria.org.au/our-campaigns/safe-climate/yallourn-australias-dirtiest-power/|access-date=2020-06-12|website=Environment Victoria|language=en-AU}}</ref>

In the very unlikely event of being built, the proposed [[Afşin-Elbistan C power station]] would become the least carbon efficient coal-fired power station.

== External links ==
* [https://beyond-coal.eu/coal-exit-tracker/?type=maps&layer=1&toggle=dirty30 Europe Beyond Coal]

== Sources ==
*{{Cite report
|date=2021-04-05
|title=Boom and Bust 2021: Tracking The Global Coal Plant Pipeline
|url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-2021-tracking-the-global-coal-plant-pipeline-2/
|publisher=[[Global Energy Monitor]]
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Power stations|state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Least carbon efficient power stations}}
[[Category:Lists of power stations]]
[[Category:Pollution-related lists|Power stations]]
[[Category:Pollution]]
[[Category:Economy-related lists of superlatives]]
[[Category:Lists of coal-fired power stations]]