This is a list of least carbon efficient power stations in selected countries. Lists were created by the WWF and lists the most polluting power stations in terms of the level of carbon dioxide produced per unit of electricity generated. In general lignite burning coal-fired power stations with subcritical boilers (in which bubbles form in contrast to the newer supercritical steam generator) emit the most. The Chinese national carbon trading scheme may follow the European Union Emission Trading Scheme in making such power stations uneconomic to run. 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. In early 2021 the EU carbon price rose above 50 euros per tonne, causing many of the European plants listed below to become unprofitable, and close down. However, because many countries outside Europe and the USA do not publish plant level emissions data it was difficult to make up to date lists.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 from individual large plants before the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, thus enabling large polluters to be identified.
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 subcritical coal-fired power stations of 100 largest companies having these power stations.
intensity(kg/kWh) Company Country Number of SCPS 1.447 NLC India Limited 2 1.342 Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company Limited 3 1.279 GDF Suez 10 1.277 Kazakhmys 4 1.269 West Bengal Power Development Corporation 5 1.253 OGK-2 4 1.243 Maharashtra State Power Generation Company 7 1.240 Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand 4 1.226 Termoelectrica 171.222RAO UES231.220ČEZ Group13
2005 report - power station from 30 industrialised countries WWF Australia: Hazelwood tops international list of dirty power stations, Dated: 13 Jul 2005 intensity(kg/kWh) Power station CountryNote 1.58 Hazelwood Power Station, Victoria closed in 2017 1.56 Edwardsport IGCC, Edwardsport, Indiana closed in 2012 1.27 Frimmersdorf power plant, Grevenbroich closed in 2017 1.25 HR Milner Generating Station, Grande Cache, Alberta, converted to gas in 2020 1.18 Emilio Portes Gil, Río Bravo 1.09 Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów 1.07 Prunéřov Power Station, Kadaň partially closed 1.02 , Niihama
2007 list - Europe Dirty Thirty, May 2007 intensity (kg/kWh) Power Station, Location Country Fuel Emissions (Mt) 1.350 Agios Dimitrios Power Station, Agios Dimitrios, Kozani Lignite 12.4 1.250 Kardia Power Station, Kardia Kozanis Lignite 8.8 1.200 Niederaussem Power Station, Niederaussem Lignite 27.4 1.200 Jänschwalde Power Station, Jänschwalde Lignite 23.7 1.187 Frimmersdorf Power Station, Grevenbroich Lignite 19.3 1.180 Weisweiler Power Station, Eschweiler Lignite 18.8 1.150 Neurath Power Station, Grevenbroich Lignite 17.9 1.150 Turów Power Station, Bogatynia Lignite 13.0 1.150 As Pontes Power Station, Ferrol Lignite 9.1 1.100 Boxberg Power Station, Boxberg, Saxony Lignite 15.5 1.090 Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów Lignite 30.1 1.070 Prunéřov Power Station, Prunéřov Lignite 8.9 1.050 Sines Power Station, Sines Hard Coal 8.7 1.000 Schwarze Pumpe power station, Spremberg Lignite 12.2
2018 - largest emitters The table lists the largest emitters, regardless of their carbon efficiency. intensity (kg/kWh) Power Station Country 2018 emissions (Mt)1.8 Bełchatów 381.5Vindhyachal341.5Dangjin341.5Taean311.3Taichung301.5Tuoketuo301.5 Niederaussem 27 1.4Sasan271.5Yonghungdo271.4Hekinan27
Other At over 1.34 tCO2-e/MWh Yallourn is the most carbon intense in Australia.
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 Europe Beyond Coal
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