Coal power in Turkey

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Yeniköy (pictured), Yatağan and Kemerköy have made Muğla a sulfur dioxide hotspot of air pollution in Turkey.[1][2]

Coal power in Turkey contributes a third of the nation's electricity. There are 56 coal-fired power stations with a total capacity of 20 gigawatts (GW), and their average thermal efficiency is 35%.

Emissions from coal-fired power stations are the largest category of greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey. Coal-fired stations emit over 1 kg of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt hour generated, over twice that of gas-fired power stations. However, government policy supports continued generation from low quality Turkish lignite. A new coal-fired power station is being constructed that may become a large emitter of carbon dioxide, and if built and operated as planned Afşin-Elbistan C would become the largest point source of carbon dioxide in the world.

Older coal-fired power stations emit air pollution, which damages public health. It is estimated that in 2019, air pollution from coal-fired power stations in Turkey caused almost 5,000 premature deaths and over 1.4 million work-days lost to illness. Flue gas emission limits are in place, but data from mandatory reporting is not made public.

Energy policy[]

See also: Energy in Turkey § Policy

The Energy Ministry wants to fully utilize not just renewable energy in Turkey, but also other local energy resources to support the country's development and to reduce dependence on energy imports.[3] Like neighbouring Iran, Turkey is one of the very few countries which has not ratified the Paris Agreement. Turkey has also not ratified the Gothenburg Protocol on air pollution.[4]

A government guide for investors on a government website in 2021, still mentions the 2023 vision to increase the installed capacity of coal power plants to 30 GW (compared to 20 GW in 2021), and the 2015 to 2019 strategic plan including increasing annual electricity generation from local coal to 60 TWh (compared to under 50 TWh in 2019 and in 2020).[5] According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance the capital cost of building 10 GW of coal-power would fund construction of 25 GW of solar power (annual peak electricity demand is on summer afternoons).[6]

Generating stations[]

See also: List of active coal-fired power stations in Turkey and Electricity sector in Turkey

Coal-fired power stations generate approximately one third of the nation's electricity.[7] As of 2021 there are 55 licensed active coal-fired power stations with a total capacity of 20 gigawatts (GW).[8] [note 1] [note 2] The average thermal efficiency of these stations is 35%.[12]

Much of the operational fleet was built in the 21st century. There was oversupply of generating capacity and a drop in demand in 2020,[13] and a quarter of power stations were estimated to be cashflow negative.[14] Debts of US$ 5 billion owed by 7 plants using local coal were at high risk of default.[15] Moreover, the price of natural gas fell in 2020,[16] making Turkey's existing gas-fired power stations more competitive,[17] Analyst Ramez Naam forecast in 2020, that by 2030, electricity from new solar installations in medium cost locations will be cheaper than generation from existing fossil fuel plants.[18]

Germany is closing lignite-fired plants under 150 MW.[19] Neighbouring Greece is closing down all its lignite-fueled power stations,[20] but Turkey is continuing with the building of lignite power stations, despite overcapacity and abundant sun and wind.[21] The 1320 MW Emba Hunutlu coal fired power station is under construction.[22] Shanghai Electric Power said it would be China's largest ever direct investment in Turkey.[23] However, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, Turkey could not make a profit if it was not subsidized.[24] Turkey has also approved building of the large Afşin-Elbistan C lignite-fueled station.[25] The Turkey Wealth Fund, the country's sovereign wealth fund, says it is financing the project because the country needs to maintain energy security by reducing fossil fuel imports.[26] The fund aims to pay dividends to the government,[26] but according to Carbon Tracker, a think tank, new coal power will lose money.[27] Afşin-Elbistan C and further new coal-fired power stations may not be started,[28] due to public opposition,[29] and the risk of them becoming stranded assets.[30]

Yunus Emre power station was completed in 2020[31] but has not generated any power to the grid.

With a few exceptions stations smaller than 200 MW provide both electricity and heat, often to factories, whereas almost all those larger than 200 MW just generate electricity.

Coal industry[]

Main article: Coal in Turkey

Government policy supports continued generation from lignite (brown coal). According to the Eleventh Development Plan (2019-2023): "Dependence on imported sources in electricity generation will be reduced and employment will be provided by generating electricity from public lignite fields.[32] Lignite is mined locally, whereas almost all hardcoal (anthracite and bituminous coal) is imported.[33] In 2020, 51 million tonnes (83%) of lignite and 22 million tonnes (55%) of hardcoal was burnt in power stations,[34].

Locally mined lignite[]

Power stations burning lignite tend to be near local coalmines, such as Elbistan, because Turkish lignite's calorific value is less than 12.5 MJ/kg (and Afsin Elbistan lignite less than 5 MJ/kg, which is a quarter of typical thermal coal),[35] and about 90% has lower heat value under 3,000 kcal / kg,[36] so is not worth transporting.

Imported coal[]

To minimize transport costs, power stations burning imported coal are usually located on the coast: there are clusters in Çanakkale and Zonguldak provinces and around Iskenderun Bay.[37]

Greenhouse gas emissions[]

Main article: Greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey

Coal-fired power stations emit over 1 kg of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt hour generated,[38] over twice that of gas-fired power stations. Turkey's coal-fired power stations are the largest contributor to the country's greenhouse gas emissions.[note 3] Production of public heat and electricity emitted 138 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO
2e) in 2019,[a] mainly through coal burning.

Turkey has approved building Afşin-Elbistan C,[25] which at over 5 kg of CO2 per kWh generated would be less carbon efficient than any power station on the list of least carbon efficient power stations.[note 4] The forecast emissions of 60 million tonnes a year from this station represent more than 10% of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions, and will make it the largest point source in the world.[42]

Because lignite quality varies greatly, to estimate the carbon dioxide emissions from a particular power station, the net calorific value of the lignite it burnt must be reported to the government but is not published,[43] unlike some other countries.[44] However public information from space-based measurements of carbon dioxide by Climate TRACE is expected to reveal individual large plants before the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference,[45] and smaller ones by GOSAT-GW in 2023 and (CO2M) possibly in 2025.

A 2020 study estimated that fitting carbon capture and storage to a power station burning Turkish lignite would increase the cost of its electricity by over 50%.[46]

Air pollution[]

Health effects of coal-fired power stations in Turkey 2019[47]
See also: Air pollution in Turkey § Flue_gas_emission_limits

Air pollution is a significant environmental and public health problem in Turkey. Levels of air pollution have been recorded above the World Health Organization (WHO) limits in 51 out of 81 provinces.[48] Emissions from coal-fired power stations are a major contributor to air pollution, and cause severe impacts on public health. A report from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) estimates that in 2019, there were almost 5,000 premature deaths caused by pollution from coal-fired power stations in Turkey, and over 1.4 million work-days lost to illness. The HEAL report estimates that the health costs of illness caused by coal-fired power stations make up between 13 and 27 percent of Turkey's total annual health expenditure (including both public and private sectors).[47]

Some of the older power stations emit air pollution which affects people locally, but there is not enough public data to make good estimates of how much gets past 2020s filters and into peoples lungs.[48][49]

A 1996 court order to shut 3 polluting power stations was not enforced.[50] 2019 early deaths due to coal power air pollution have been estimated somewhere between 2000[51] and 5000, with 1.4 million working days lost due to illness.[52] Five 20th century power stations were shut down at the end of 2019 because they did not meet new pollution limits,[53] but they were all re-licensed after improvements in 2020.[54][55] The effectiveness of the improvements is being questioned.[56][57]

The "Industry Related Air Pollution Control Regulation" says that flue-gas stacks must be at least 10m from the ground and 3m above the roof.[58] Flue gas emission limits were introduced in January 2020.[59][60] Larger power stations must measure local pollutants vented into the atmosphere from the smokestack and report them to the Environment Ministry but, unlike the EU, they are not required to publish the data.[55] 67 smokestacks were sending data to the Environment Ministry in 2021.[61] [62][63]

The main opposition Republican People's Party says temporary licenses for 2020 for older power stations which exceed sulfur dioxide pollution limits are illegal,[64] and Greenpeace has applied to the government for them to be shut down as a health risk.[54]

According to Shura Energy Transition Center if external costs, such as air pollution and CO2 emissions, had been taken into account, the cost of power generation in 2018 would have been 26% higher for hard coal and 58% higher for lignite.[65]

Ash[]

A 2021 report from İklim Değişikliği Politika ve Araştırma Derneği (Climate Change Policy and Research Association) said that 2020s environmental law was being evaded by the repeated granting of less stringent 1 year temporary operating licenses, and said that coal ash storage permit criteria (inspections by universities) were unclear so some plants were not properly storing unhealthy coal ash and summarized inspection reports as:

2020/2021 Ash environmental protection systems of some coal-fired power plants and deficiency list [66]:75
Power plant name Dry Storage Wet Storage Surrounding channels Wall Pump system Groundwater Pollution Analysis/Monitoring Observation Well Wire Fence Drainage System Slope Other
Afşin Elbistan B x x x x x x Dust Control Plan should be prepared.
Yatağan x x x x x Impermeable zone problem
18 Mart Çan x x x x
Kemerköy x x x x x x The landfill is in the forest area
Yeniköy x x x x x The landfill is in the forest area
Kangal x x x x
Soma x The safety of embankments, sitting, sliding, etc. monitoring/progress report for monitoring and reporting
Tunçbilek x x Complying with the provisions of the Regulation on Buildings to be Constructed in Earthquake Zones and the Regulation on Buildings to be Constructed in Disaster Zones
Orhaneli x x
Seyitömer x x
Çayırhan x x x x
ÇATES x x x x Impermeable zone construction
Afşin Elbistan A Re-evaluation of the commitments given in the EIA Report for the construction of the Landfill Facility within the scope of the Circular

Subsidies and incentives[]

Lignite-burning power stations have priority over other types of generation,[67]

In 2020 large lignite-burning stations were subsidized with capacity payments totalling over 1.2 billion lira (over 150 million USD).[68] In 2021 some burning imported coal are likely also to receive capacity payments.[69] Some electricity from these stations is purchased by EÜAŞ at a guaranteed price of USD 50-55/MWh until the end of 2027.[70]

Around the turn of the century government incentives were offered to build cogeneration plants (autoproducers),[71] many small plants were built in industrial parks[72] or in sugar factories.[73][74] About 20 of these small autoproducers were operating by 2021 but there is no list publicly available as they are not connected to the grid and no longer require licences.[75][note 5]

Notes[]

  1. ^ See tr:Türkiye'deki kömür yakıtlı enerji santralleri listesi or its underlying Wikidata for details. The Energy Ministry gives a total of 68 coal-fired power stations,[9] as at end September 2019, this includes unlicensed stations. In June 2021 TEİAŞ said there is 1 asphaltite, 15 imported coal, 47 lignite and 4 hardcoal, which totals 67 (as Yunus Emre is not active presumably they don't count it, news reports say Ilgın sugar factory not operating).[10] The names and details of the others are not known by Wikidata.
  2. ^ In 2018 coal-fired power stations gross generation was 113 terawatt hours (TWh), which was 37% of total gross generation.[11] The figures in List of active coal-fired power stations in Turkey are net generation.
  3. ^ UNFCCC category 1.A.1. Energy industries a. Public electricity and heat production:solid fuels. shows 111 megatonnes of CO2, which is larger than any other category.[39]
  4. ^ By routine calculation 61,636,279.98 tCO2/year[41] divided by 11380 GWh/year[25] equals 61,636.27998 Gg CO2 divided by 11,380 GWh equals 5.4 kg CO2/kWh
  5. ^ Some former autoproducer licencees are listed in table 20 of the following cite from 2007, but it is not publicly known exactly which are still operating.[74]
  1. ^ [40]:table 1s1 cell B10

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Sources[]

See also[]

Category:Coal mines in Turkey

Coal power in the United States

External links[]

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