# Shangdu power station
**Shangdu power station** (华能北方联合电力上都发电厂, Huaneng North United Power Shangdu Power Plant) is an operating lignite-fired power station of at least 3,720 MW in Shangdu Town, Zhenglan Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, China, with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) It is also known as 华能北方联合电力内蒙古上都第二发电厂 for its Phase III and planned [Phase IV](https://www.edgepedia.org/phase-iv) units.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Shangdu Town, Zhenglan Banner, Xilingol, Inner Mongolia; coordinates 42.22369, 116.029256 (WGS 84)[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| Capacity | 3,720 MW gross across six operating units: four 600 MW and two 660 MW[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| In service | Units 1 and 2 in 2006, units 3 and 4 in 2007, units 5 and 6 in 2011[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| Technology | Subcritical boilers (units 1–4); supercritical boilers (units 5–6); all units configured for combined heat and power[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| Fuel | Domestic lignite[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| Ownership | Phase I–II: Inner Mongolia MengDian HuaNeng Thermal Power (51%) and Beijing Jingneng Power (49%); Phase III: MengDian HuaNeng (68.9%), China Huaneng (23.2%), Guangdong Hengjian (4.7%), China Shenhua (3.1%)[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
| Phase IV | Two additional 660 MW units (1,320 MW) were planned and are listed as canceled[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) |
## Units and construction
The plant was built in three phases. Phase I units 1 and 2, each 600 MW and subcritical, entered service in 2006; Phase II units 3 and 4, of the same size and technology, followed in 2007. Phase III added two 660 MW supercritical units in 2011, bringing the gross capacity to 3,720 MW.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) All six units burn domestic lignite and are configured for combined heat and power, meaning they supply district heat alongside electricity.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
## Ownership
The operating company differs by phase. Units 1 through 4 are held by Inner Mongolia Shangdu Power Generation Co Ltd, whose parents are Inner Mongolia MengDian HuaNeng Thermal Power Corp Ltd (51.0%) and Beijing Jingneng Power Co Ltd (49.0%). Units 5 and 6 are held by Inner Mongolia Shangdu Second Power Generation Co Ltd, owned 68.9% by MengDian HuaNeng, 23.2% by [China Huaneng Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/china-huaneng-group), 4.7% by [Guangdong Hengjian Investment Holding](https://www.edgepedia.org/guangdong-hengjian-investment-holding), and 3.1% by [China Shenhua Energy](https://www.edgepedia.org/china-shenhua-energy).[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) The project-level summary describes the plant as owned by China Huaneng and Beijing Energy Group, with North United Power Co Ltd as sponsor for Phases I–III.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
## Phase IV expansion and cancellation
China Huaneng and Beijing Energy Group planned two additional coal-fired units, Phase IV units 7 and 8, each 660 MW supercritical, for a total planned capacity of 1,320 MW.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) Local government documents from Zhenglan Banner in 2013 and 2014 covered the project's social stability risk assessment and construction highlights.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) In the Global Coal Plant Tracker the two units are now listed as canceled.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
The cancellation followed national policy: restrictions announced in 2016 by the National Energy Administration and the [National Development and Reform Commission](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-development-and-reform-commission) on new coal-fired capacity put further expansion at this location on hold or canceled it.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
## Role in the grid
The pump manufacturer [Wilo](https://www.edgepedia.org/wilo), describing equipment supplied to the plant, calls the "Inner Mongolia Shangdu" power station one of the main suppliers of electricity for northern China and gives its capacity as 8 x 600 MW.[2](https://wilo.com/gb/en/About-Wilo-UK/References/Secure-power-supply-in-northern-China/) The 8 x 600 MW figure disagrees with the unit-level record of four 600 MW and two 660 MW units; the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the [Inner Mongolia](https://www.edgepedia.org/inner-mongolia) station list both give 3,720 MW for the six operating units.[1](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station) Wilo also notes that building an intermediate pumping station in the steppe environment around the plant would have incurred significant additional costs, particularly in winter and for road construction.[2](https://wilo.com/gb/en/About-Wilo-UK/References/Secure-power-supply-in-northern-China/)
## References
1. [Shangdu power station, Global Energy Monitor (Global Coal Plant Tracker)](https://www.gem.wiki/Shangdu_power_station)
2. [Secure power supply in northern China, Wilo reference](https://wilo.com/gb/en/About-Wilo-UK/References/Secure-power-supply-in-northern-China/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Energy technology › Coal-fired power › Coal power stations in China › Coal power stations in Inner Mongolia*
*Initially written Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license