Donghae power station
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Donghae power station (동해 발전소) is an operating power station of at least 430-megawatts (MW) in Donghae, Gangwon, South Korea with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Donghae Biomass Steam Power Plant, 동해 발전소, East Sea power station, Donghae Bio Power Plant.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Donghae power station | Donghae, Donghae, Gangwon, South Korea | 37.486296, 129.147287 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 1, 2, 3, Unit 1, Unit 2: 37.486296, 129.147287
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Announced[2] | fossil gas: LNG[2] | 200[2] | unknown | 2036 (planned)[2] | – |
| 2 | Announced[2] | fossil gas: LNG[2] | 200[2] | unknown | 2036 (planned)[2] | – |
| 3 | Operating[3] | bioenergy: wood & other biomass (solids)[4] | 30[3] | – | 2013[3] | – |
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: anthracite, bioenergy: refuse (municipal and industrial wastes) | 200 | subcritical | 1998 | 2029 (planned)[5] |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: anthracite, bioenergy: refuse (municipal and industrial wastes) | 200 | subcritical | 1999 | 2029 (planned)[5] |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Operator | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea East-West Power[6] | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%][6] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| 2 | Korea East-West Power[6] | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%][6] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| 3 | Korea East-West Power[6] | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%][6] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 1 | Korea East-West Power[6] | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%][6] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Korea East-West Power[6] | Korea East-West Power Co Ltd [100%][6] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The coal-fired power plant has a capacity of 400 MW and is located in Donghae, Gangwon Province, South Korea.[7]
The Donghae power plant (not to be confused with the Bukpyung power station, also known as the GS Donghae power station), was commissioned in the late 1990s to supply energy to the national grid. Consisting of two 200 MW units, the capital cost of the plant was 563.8 trillion won ($497 thousand USD). The plant has desulfurization equipment installed within.[8] According to Korea East-West Power, the owner and operator of the Donghae power station, the plant employs around 175 employees and utilizes both anthracite (hard coal) and bituminous coal.[9]
According to Korea East-West Power's 2017 Sustainability Report, the plant co-fires biomass (refuse-derived fuel) in both units. A 30 MW biomass unit is also located at the site.[10]
As of May 2021, Units 1 and 2 were scheduled to close by 2028 and 2029, respectively.[11]
In March 2025, South Korea’s 11th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan indicated that Donghae Units 1 and 2 would stop burning coal in 2029.[12]
From January to June 2025, Unit 1 reportedly had an operating rate of 10.5%, while Unit 2 had an operating rate of 53.6%. The power station’s operating rate had reportedly declined as a result of transmission line constraints.[13]
Incidents
In July 2025, a worker died at the Donghae power station after he fell from a height of 8 meters while installing scaffolding.[14]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://maps.app.goo.gl/KF65vNNaRdtQxBpG6.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 https://www.motie.go.kr/attach/viewer/c26df36c4f964b1523b31be51e734922/f3e75937c6fd925443ad69c810ba811d/9a9db098b587ee18b321c826f3707a49.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20230128174423/https://ewp.co.kr/eng/subpage/content.html?pc=2IWVCPHX5S4OUWBNLVRIVQFZ2K2UFSK. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220629095107/https://www.kdhec.com/en/business/business05.jsp. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://new.kpx.or.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=ATT&list_no=74548&seq=2.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 (PDF) http://thecsr-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2017_KoreaEastWest_Report_en2.pdf?ckattempt=2.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "동해화력발전소 - 위키백과, 우리 모두의 백과사전," ko.wikipedia.org, accessed July 1, 2021
- ↑ "Donghae Coal Power Plant South Korea - GEO," Global Energy Observatory, accessed July 1, 2021
- ↑ "Operating Plants," Korea East-West Power Company, accessed July 1, 2021
- ↑ "Sustainability Report 2017," Korea East-West Power Company, 2017
- ↑ Assessing the Health Benefits of a Paris-Aligned Coal Phase Out for South Korea, Annex II (Unit-level phase out schedules), Climate Analytics, May 2021
- ↑ “제11차 전력수급기본계획 (2024~2038),” 산업통상자원부, March 13, 2025
- ↑ “(집중진단) 동해발전본부·GS동해전력 휴업 증가…고용 위기 상황,” 강원도민일보, July 10, 2025
- ↑ “동해화력발전소 30대 노동자 8m 높이서 추락사,” 한겨레, July 29, 2025
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, the Global Coal Plant Tracker, and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
