The Megalopoli Power Plant is an 850 MW

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an el ...

in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese that produces electricity for southern

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

and the islands. It is located northwest of

Megalopoli Megalopoli ( el, Μεγαλόπολη) is a town in the southwestern part of the regional unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis ( grc, Μεγαλόπολις, literally ''large/great city''). When ...

via the GR-76 (

Krestena Krestena ( el, Κρέστενα) is a town and a community in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is the seat of administration. Krestena is situated i ...

Andritsaina Andritsaina ( el, Ανδρίτσαινα) is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The munici ...

- Megalopoli), its entrance is to the east. It produces electricity from

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

and lignite mined south in the Megalopoli Mine as well as mines in

Thoknia Thoknia ( el, Θωκνία) is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated near the confluence of the rivers Alfeios and Elissonas, at about 360 m elevation. It was named after the ancient Arcadian city Thocnia, ...

and

Kyparissia Kyparissia ( el, Κυπαρισσία) is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit ...

. The plant employs up to 500 to 1,000 people, most of them are from

. Construction began in the mid-1960s just after the town was struck by the Arcadia earthquake in 1965. It took three to four years to complete. By 1971, electricity production began and mining also started. As all of its coal and lignite are being used up, the plant may close in a few years, potentially laying off hundreds of workers and causing a significant part of its economy to drop. The power plant had been featured in an ERT documentary which was broadcast in April 2007.

Location

The plant is surrounded by Megalopoli's nearby forest to the southwest, the Alpheus River to the west and another to the north. The building is in the middle part, its towers are to the southwest and its reactors to the east. The plant can be seen around the valley, the Lykaio mountains to the north, its mountains to the north, the east and the west.

Environment

Pollution has been a problem in the area as sulphur and

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...

() have been emptied as low as during windy and cloudy days and as high as during clear days, visible from as far as as well as northwestern Laconia. The main concern is dumping used-up coal into the Alfeios which ruins its water supply and nature as well as the ancient city of

which saw marble and stone begin to rust. Also, as with all fossil fuel based plants, the Megalopoli Power Plant produces large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Emission data

References

{{Reflist Coal-fired power stations in Greece Buildings and structures in Arcadia, Peloponnese Megalopolis, Greece Energy infrastructure completed in 1971 1971 establishments in Greece

Location

Environment

Emission data

See also

References