Coal supplies a quarter of Turkey's primary energy. [1] The heavily subsidised coal industry generates over a third of the country's electricity [2] and emits a third of Turkey's greenhouse gases.
Coal is a major contributor to air pollution, and damages health across the nation, being burnt even in homes and cities. [3] It is estimated that a phase out of coal power in Turkey by 2030 instead of by the 2050s would save over 100 thousand lives. [4] Flue gas emission limits are in place, but data from mandatory reporting is not made public.
Over 90% of coal mined in Turkey is lignite (brown coal), [1] which is more polluting than other types of coal. [5] Turkey's energy policy encourages mining lignite for coal-fired power stations in order to reduce gas imports; [2] and coal supplies over 40% of domestic energy production. [6] Mining peaked in 2018, at over 100 million tonnes, [7] declined considerably in 2019, [8] but increased again in 2022. [9] Most coal is imported, [10] [11] as in contrast to local lignite production, Turkey imports most of its bituminous coal from Russia. [12] Coal consumption probably peaked in 2022. [9] The largest coalfield in Turkey is Elbistan. [13]
As the Ottoman Navy expanded its steam powered fleet in the 1840s to help defend the Ottoman Empire against the expanding Russian Empire, it became a national priority to find domestic coalfields. [15] There are several apocryphal stories about the discovery of coal on the Black Sea coast in what is now Zonguldak Province. However, it is certain that the Ereğli Coal Mine Company started production in 1842 and that coal mined in Ereğli and Amasra was used to fuel steamboats. [15]
In 1848 the Ereğli Coal Basin (now called the Zonguldak Basin) was mapped and claimed by Sultan Abdulmejid I, who later leased it, mainly to foreign merchants. [15] The first customer of Turkey's coal industry was the Ottoman Navy. However, during the Crimean War in the mid-1850s, production was commandeered by the Ottoman Empire's allies, the British Royal Navy, [15] and production increased by importing mining machinery and training Turkish miners. [16] By 1875 the Ottoman Navy had become the third largest in the world and expansion of the mines attracted workers from outside the area, despite the dangerous conditions. [17]
The mines in Zonguldak were shelled by Russia during World War I (WW1) to disrupt coal supply to Ottoman and German ships. [18] The first coal-fired power station in Turkey, Silahtarağa Power Station (now SantralIstanbul culture center) opened in 1914, and after the destruction of the empire in WW1, and the subsequent Turkish War of Independence, the new Republic of Turkey industrialized further as part of Atatürk's reforms. Lignite from Soma supplied the army in WW1 [15] and lignite mining began at several other coalfields in 1927. [19] The Zonguldak coalfield remains the only national source of the hard coal [note 1] which was historically necessary for steelmaking: its mines were nationalized in 1940. [22] In the mid-20th century the state encouraged the growth of cement [15] and steelmaking in Zonguldak. The first large coal-fired power stations were built in the late 1950s in two large lignite basins, Soma and Tuncbilek, [23] and in the late 20th century many power stations were constructed near lignite fields such as Elbistan coalfield.
In the early 21st century there was a growing realization of the damage done by coal to public health. However, the Turkish government wished to avoid importing too much natural gas, which is a large part of the import bill, with supply dominated by Russia. [24] The nascent environmental movement in Turkey was unable to prevent many more coal-fired power stations being built, but did stop some. [25] After years of struggle by environmentalists standards, such as for flue-gas desulfurization, were finally improved at the end of the 2010s. [26] As for steelmaking, most plants are now electric arc furnaces. [27]
Starting in the 19th century, stoves took the place of wood burning ovens in traditional Anatolian houses. For heating, every room had a stove with a stovepipe or chimney. After the late 1970s, coke was reserved for use in institutions such as schools, and the more polluting but cheaper coal was supplied to households. Imports of natural gas started in the late 1980s [28] and by the 2020s the pipeline distribution network had been extended to over 80% of the population. [29] However, due to energy poverty, some of those people still use coal [30] and the resulting air pollution causes illness and premature deaths. [31] Most buildings constructed since the late 20th century have gas heating, not coal.
In the 2020s, in some provinces coal is still used for heating including public buildings, [32] especially in rural areas, and even occasionally for cooking, [33] although electricity and bottled gas are available everywhere. In 2019 TKI gave one and a half million tonnes of free coal [34] (mostly from Alpagut Dodurga coal mine) to households with an average per person income less than one third of the minimum wage (less than 700 lira in 2020), even in neighborhoods which have piped gas. [35] In winter 22/23 TKI distributed coal to schools and other educational institutions: this coal has to meet certain indoor heating air pollution limits. [36] [37] Indoor concentration of particulates is highest in the winter. [38] Over three quarters of carbon monoxide deaths are due to stoves: almost 200 in 2017 mostly in poorer rural areas. [39]
As of 2017 [update] Turkey was 11th in the list of countries by coal production, and mined 1.3% of the world's coal, with lignite and sub-bituminous deposits widespread throughout the country. [40] Due to the country's geology, there is no hard coal, which has a higher energy density (over 7,250 kcal/kg), within 1000 m of the surface. [41] [42] All coal deposits are owned by the state but over half of mining is done by the private sector. [40] In 2017 almost half of Turkey's coal production was mined by the state-owned mines, but the government is seeking an expansion of privatization. [43] As of 2019, there are 436 coal mining companies such as Akçelik, [44] 740 coal mines, [45] and more mining and exploration licences are being tendered. [46] However, some drilling companies are not bidding for licences because mineral exploration is more profitable and in 2018 many mining licences were combined with coal licenses. [47] Mining is documented in the "e-maden" computer system ("maden" means "mine" in Turkish). [48] Coal miners do not have the right to strike. [49] A company called Tarhan Maden has proposed a mine in the district of Tavşanlı in Kütahya Province. [50] Unions have complained of mines they say are unsafe, such as Kınık coal mine. [51]
The Zonguldak basin in the northwest is the only coal mining region in Turkey that produces hard coal: about 2 million tons a year [8] from mines including Kandilli, Amasra, Karadon, Kozlu and Üzülmez. [52] Compared to other countries, the energy value of the coal is low, at 6,200 kilocalories per kilogram (2,800 kcal/lb) to 7,250 kcal/kg (3,290 kcal/lb). [2] Up to 72.5% is organic carbon. [53] 10 to 15% is coal ash, 4 to 14% moisture, and 0.8 to 1% sulfur. [54] Although low grade it is generally of cokeable or semi-cokeable quality. [55] [52] Because there is so much faulting and folding, mining in the region is very difficult. [41] Long-wall mining is necessary due to the tectonic structure of the seams. [42]
Turkey is one of the countries which mines the most lignite. [56] The most significant deposits of lignite were laid down in the geological Neogene period. [57] Almost half of the country's lignite reserves are in the Afşin–Elbistan basin. [2] Lignite coalfields include Elbistan, Kutahya Tavsanlı, Inez, Manisa, İnağzı-Bağlık and Gediz, [58] [52] and 90% of lignite production is from surface mines. [40] Locations of major individual lignite mines include Tunçbilek in Tavşanlı, Yatağan near the southern Aegean Sea, Yeniköy in Muğla and Seyitömer in Kütahya; and there is a gilsonite mine in Silopi. [52] Turkish lignite has high carbon, [note 2] sulphur, ash, moisture and volatile components. [55] [52] Its calorific value is less than 12.5 MJ/kg – and that from Afsin Elbistan has less than 5 MJ/kg, which is a quarter of typical thermal coal. [60] Opencast mining of lignite can destroy forest land, as although soil must be stored by law, it can degrade before reforestation. [61] In 2023 a proposed rule allowing removal of olive trees was retracted. [62]
Exploration and research is done by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration. [63] In the 2010s coal mining technology from China was imported. [64] But according to energy analyst Haluk Direskeneli coal power plant technology which has been imported is unsuitable for Turkish coal, so refractory distortions are occurring, and control systems and other equipment is failing. He says that circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology is unsuitable because Turkish lignite does not burn continuously in the CFB combustion chamber without supplementary liquid fuel. In Direskeneli's opinion "local coal enters the combustion chamber as ice in winter and as mud in summer", so the water content of domestic coal should be reduced by preheating. [65]
As of 2018 [update] , environmental regulations for coal mines still lag behind international standards despite improvements. [66] As of 2019 [update] an expansion of coal washing capacity was planned together with research on coal pollution mitigation and lignite gasification. [67] According to the Eleventh Development Plan (2019-2023): "In order to reduce the import dependence and current accounts deficit in energy, exploration, generation and R & D activities will be increased for high potential domestic resources such as geothermal and shale gas, especially lignite." [68]
The Istanbul Policy Center estimates that every year in Turkey, the mining and burning of coal causes at least 2,800 premature deaths, 637,000 working days to be lost, and 3.6 billion euros in additional costs. Although there are some concerns about ground [69] [note 3] and water [71] pollution, most coal-related deaths are caused by worsening air pollution in Turkey. [5]
After the deaths of over 300 people in the Soma mine disaster in 2014, [72] new health and safety regulations were introduced. As of 2018 [update] , most mining accidents happen in coal mines but the reasons for Turkey's poor mining safety are not entirely clear. [73] According to a 2022 study the small number of workers in trade unions and the widespread use of subcontractors contribute to poor working conditions. [74] : 162
Most underground coal-mining deaths are caused by methane explosions and other gas-related accidents, [75] as is suspected was the cause of the Bartın mine explosion which killed 41 people in 2022. [76] The government has restricted access to workplace accident statistics, but coal mining is thought to be the most accident-prone sector of the economy. [5] As of 2018 [update] coal mining fatalities continue to occur in illegal mines. [77] Coal miners suffer respiratory diseases such as black lung, [78] chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, [79] back pain, [80] periodontal disease [81] and other illnesses; and increased risk from respiratory infections such as COVID-19. [79]
Coal contributes to air pollution in big cities. [82] The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says that residential heating is emitting dangerous levels of fine particulates: so it recommends reducing particulate emissions by not using coal. [83] There is a pollutant release and transfer register, but as of September 2024 no years are publicly searchable because it is not yet technically complete, and it is not known what exemptions will be granted.(see FAQ). [84]
The environmental impact of the coal industry is both local [85] and international.
Acid mine drainage from coal refuse varies considerably and in some areas remediation of the mine sites is needed. [86]
Coal refuse may be processed and burnt. [87]
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The amount of coal consumed in 2017 was more than a quarter higher than the amount in 2012, but coal made up about 30% of Turkey's primary energy in both years. [88] In 2018, 80% of coal was used to generate power by coal-fired power stations in Turkey, 14% was used by industry, and 6% by buildings. [89] In absolute numbers for 2018, 13 Mtoe of hard coal were used to generate electricity and heat; 4 Mtoe, in coke ovens; 2 Mtoe, for home heating; 2 Mtoe, in cement manufacture; and 1 Mtoe was used for iron and steel. [90] In 2018, 12 Mtoe of lignite were used to generate electricity and heat, 2 Mtoe in industry, and 1 Mtoe was used for home heating. [90] Lignite fired power stations did not become more productive between 2009 and 2018, [91] but three-quarters by weight of coal burnt in Turkish power stations is lignite. [92] Demand and price of coal increased in 2022 due to the European energy crisis. [9] In 2022 14% of household final energy was coal. [93]
Coal in Turkey generated a third of the nation's electricity in 2023. [94] There are 55 active coal-fired power stations with a total capacity of 21 gigawatts (GW). [note 4] In 2023 coal imports for electricity generation cost 3.7 billion USD. [94] : 4
Air pollution from coal-fired power stations is damaging public health, [96] : 48 and it is estimated that a coal phase-out by 2030 instead of by the 2050s would save over 100,000 lives. [97] Flue gas emission limits were improved in 2020, but data from mandatory reporting of emission levels is not made public. Turkey has not ratified the Gothenburg Protocol, which limits fine dust polluting other countries. As of 2023 official health impact assessment is not done in Turkey. [98] : 50
Turkey's coal is almost all low calorie lignite, but government policy supports its continued use. In contrast, Germany is closing lignite-fired stations under 150 MW. [99] Drought in Turkey is frequent, but thermal power stations use significant amounts of water. [100]
Coal-fired power stations are the largest source of greenhouse gas, at about a tonne each year per person, which is about the world average. [101] Coal-fired stations emit over 1 kg of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt hour generated, [102] over twice that of gas power. Academics suggest that in order to reach Turkey's target of carbon neutrality by 2053, coal power should be phased out by the mid-2030s. [103] In January 2023 the National Energy Plan was published: it forecast a capacity increase to 24.3 GW by 2035, [104] : 23 including 1.7 GW more by 2030. [104] : 15 However by 2024 it was obvious that no new coal power stations would be built, [105] : 11 although Çelikler Holding still want to add units to Afşin Elbistan A. [106] The national plan forecasts coal generation decreasing but capacity payments continuing for flexible and baseload power. [104] : 25 In 2024 Turkey is burning more coal for electricity than any country in the European Union. [107]Coal is used in making pig iron, [108] companies such as Kardemir [109] and İsdemir [110] use coal, and Erdemir washes coal [111] and operates blast furnaces. [112]
As a signatory of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Aichi Target 3), Turkey committed to phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies, including those to fossil fuels, by 2020. [113] However, coal remained the most subsidized source of electricity in Turkey. [114] By 2020, according to Carbon Tracker, both new wind and solar power were cheaper than building new coal power plants; and they forecast that wind would become cheaper than existing coal plants in 2027, and solar in 2023. [115] Lignite-fired power stations receive multiple subsidies for construction [116] [note 5] and operation. [117] Specific subsidy programs include value-added tax waivers, offsetting investment costs and tax reductions. [118] There is a guaranteed purchase price per MWh. [119]
Instrument | Coal production | Coal-fired power | Coal consumption |
---|---|---|---|
Fiscal support (budgetary transfers and tax exemptions) | 947 | 31 | 1,287 |
State-owned enterprise investment | 198 | 953 | none identified |
In 2019, the Turkish government passed a bill to subsidize coal mining with multiple economic incentives. [120] The Turkey Wealth Fund continued supporting coal into the 2020s. [121] The price of electricity generated from domestic coal is adjusted according to the consumer price index, the producer price index and the dollar exchange rate, and paid by the state-owned electricity company to private-sector power plants. [122]
Between 2008 and 2018, the coal industry was partially privatized; [42] nevertheless state-owned companies mined over half of the total amount of Turkish coal in 2018. [7] Turkish Coal Operations Authority (TKİ) owns lignite mines, and Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises (TTK) owns hard coal mines.
Several companies have acquired mining rights for hard coal fields: Erdemir Madencilik, a subsidiary of Turkey's autonomous military pension program; Oyak; Tumas, a subsidiary of Bereket Holding, and energy company Emsa Enerji. [58] In 2019 private companies paid over 20 million lira royalties to TTK. [123] Lignite fields have been transferred to Imbat Madencilik, Fernas Holding, Demir Export and construction group Yapi Tek. [42] Eren Holding holds the largest amount of coal-fired generation capacity, 2,790 megawatts, [124] at the ZETES power complex in Zonguldak. Several companies hold more than a gigawatt of coal power capacity: IC Içtaş Enerji, the state-owned EÜAŞ; Konya Şeker, a company owned by Anadolu Birlik Holding; ERG Elektrik; Diler Holding; Çelikler Holding and Ciner Holding. [125] However, mining licence information that is held by the government in the "e-maden" database is not released to the public. [126]
In the late 2010s, the government attempted to auction mine licenses to private companies provided that they would build nearby power plants, [42] but the auctions attracted little interest [127] as the currency weakened. [128] And although lignite is more polluting than most other types of coal, the government tried to persuade other coal-fired power stations to convert to lignite to reduce import costs. [129] The 2018 Turkish currency crisis and COVID-19 recession increased costs for mining companies and increased the difficulty of obtaining bank credits, threatening the coal industry. [130] [131]
Turkish company Yılmaden has acquired coal mining rights in Colombia. [132] Companies based in Turkey are building coal-fired power stations in other countries such as Sri Lanka. [133] Chinese state owned enterprises and companies which invested in coal power projects [134] include Shanghai Electric Power, which is the main investor in Emba Hunutlu power station in Adana Province. [135]
Imported coal generates about a quarter of the nation's electricity. [136] 24 million tonnes of coal were imported in 2023. [137] 70% of thermal coal imports are from Russia, [138] because the price is discounted. [139] A customs union deal with the EU includes bilateral trade concessions on coal. [140]
About half of coking coal imports are from Australia and a quarter from the US, [141] and in 2019 met coke was imported from Russia and China. [142] There is a 5% import tariff on US coking coal. [143] The main ports for import of met coal are Eregli, Zonguldak and Iskenderun. [143] As of 2018 [update] if the import price of thermal coal is less than 70 US$/tonne (fob) the state charges the difference as import duty. [63] : 31 In 2020 coking coal cost around US$130/tonne. [144] Anthracite coal from Donbas, a region in Ukraine, is exported (allegedly illegally) to Turkey. [145] [146] The anthracite is transported through the Russian ports of Azov and Taganrog to the Turkish city of Samsun. [147] Some analysts say that coal which was formerly exported to the EU but is now sanctioned is instead being bought by Turkey, [148] and that as of end-2022 Turkey is the largest buyer of Russian coal. [149]
According to a 2022 study the Presidency of Strategy and Budget and the Turkey Wealth Fund have the most influence on coal policy and investment decisions, but some say that the wealth fund lacks public scrutiny. [74] : 157 The study concluded that increasing energy security and thus national security by limiting imports was the main energy policy aim. [74] : 159 As of 2020 [update] , Zafer Sönmez, the CEO of the wealth fund, wants to invest in coal: [150] coal power is part of the national energy strategy [151] but the private sector will not invest in it without substantial government support. According to Ümit Şahin, who teaches climate change at Sabancı University, Turkey is not facing up to the reality that most coal will have to be left in the ground and risks losing access to international climate finance if the country does not quickly schedule an exit from coal. [152]
Many local communities strongly oppose coal power stations [153] and mines, [154] sometimes taking legal action against them. [155] From the late 2000s, residents of Amasra strongly fought against the establishment of a coal-fired power station near the city; it was cancelled. [156] In Alpu district, locals of the region won a court battle in 2018 to prevent the building of a new coal mine; the 14th chamber of the Council of State ruled that the mine could only be built with an environmental report. [157] Turkish activists have also taken their campaign to international conferences. [158] Nevertheless, in 2019 only 36 of the 600 members of parliament voted to reduce power plant emission limits. [159] In 2021 inhabitant of İkizköy village continue to protest and filed a lawsuit: they claim that a permit to cut down Akbelen Forest to expand a lignite mine should not have been granted without an environmental impact assessment. [160] The company (part owned by Limak Holding) says that Akbelen was allocated to the coal mine when the Kemerköy and Yeniköy power plants were built, and that the General Directorate of Forestry defined it as an "industrial plantation area for 2019". [161]
The Green Party is calling for an end to coal burning, and all fossil fuel use to be phased out by 2050, [162] but has been barred from the 2023 general election. [163] [164] [165]
The UN [166] and youth activists have called for a 2030 end date, [167] but as of 2023 [update] there is no plan to reduce coal use. [168] The World Bank has proposed general objectives and estimated the cost, but has suggested government do far more detailed planning. [169]
A 2020 study of coal-fired residential heating in Turkey's 3rd largest city İzmir estimated the cost of replacing it versus the reduction in illness and premature deaths. [31] Five old plants (Afşin-Elbistan A, Seyitömer, Tunçbilek, Kangal and Çatalağzı) were closed in 2020 because they did not meet new pollution limits [170] but were all restarted later in the year. [171] The country is the world's ninth-largest consumer of coal, similar to Poland. [172] In contrast during the early 21st century German energy from coal fell from 6x that of Turkey to below Turkey. [173] In terms of energy resources, Spain is more similar, having hydropower and abundant sunshine, and its transition away from coal could also be a model. [174] Turkish industry has experience converting coal to solar outside the country. [175] Companies which get much of their revenue from coal (such as Elgin Emtia and İmbat with over 90%) are on the Urgewald Global Coal Exit List. [176]
Historically some agricultural workers moved to coal with the expropriation of agricultural land for the coal industry. [74] : 162 By the end of 2017, the renewable energy industry employed 84,000 people, [177] whereas coal mining employed 10,000 in 13 public-sector workplaces and 26,000 in 430 private-sector workplaces. [178] In 2019, the minimum wage for coal miners was twice the standard minimum wage. [179]
Due to the complex geology of the Zonguldak basin, hard coal production in Turkey is insignificant, heavily subsidised and labour-intensive. [54] However, Zonguldak Province is highly dependent on coal. [180] By 2021 the number of people working in hard coal mines had dropped to 7,000: many people of working age had moved to Istanbul, and the population had decreased, leaving more pensioners than working people in the province. [181] Despite this, as of 2020 [update] , Turkey had not implemented a just transition policy, [182] although the government spoke in favor of it in 2015 [88] and it is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development [183] and environmental organisations such as Greenpeace. [184]
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat content. When removed from the ground, it contains a very high amount of moisture, which partially explains its low carbon content. Lignite is mined all around the world and is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation.
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine is called a "pit", and above-ground mining structures are referred to as a "pit head". In Australia, "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine.
China is the largest producer and consumer of coal and coal power in the world. The share of coal in the Chinese energy mix declined to 55% in 2021 according to the US Energy Information Agency.
Coal in India has been mined since 1774, and India is the second largest producer and consumer of coal after China, mining 777.31 million metric tons in FY 2022. Around 30% of coal is imported. Due to demand, supply mismatch and poor quality with high ash content, India imports coking coal to meet the shortage of domestic supply. Dhanbad, the largest coal producing city, has been called the coal capital of India. State-owned Coal India had a monopoly on coal mining between its nationalisation in 1973 and 2018.
Coal phase-out is an environmental policy intended to stop burning coal in coal-fired power plants and elsewhere, and is part of fossil fuel phase-out. Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, therefore phasing it out is critical to limiting climate change as laid out in the Paris Agreement. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that coal is responsible for over 30% of the global average temperature increase above pre-industrial levels. Some countries in the Powering Past Coal Alliance have already stopped.
Energy in Greece is dominated by fossil gas and oil. Electricity generation is dominated by the one third state owned Public Power Corporation. In 2009 DEI supplied for 85.6% of all electric energy demand in Greece, while the number fell to 77.3% in 2010. Almost half (48%) of DEI's power output in 2010 was generated using lignite. 12% of Greece's electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants and another 20% from natural gas. Between 2009 and 2010, independent companies' energy production increased by 56%, from 2,709 Gigawatt hour in 2009 to 4,232 GWh in 2010.
Energy consumption per person in Turkey is similar to the world average, and over 85 per cent is from fossil fuels. From 1990 to 2017 annual primary energy supply tripled, but then remained constant to 2019. In 2019, Turkey's primary energy supply included around 30 per cent oil, 30 per cent coal, and 25 per cent gas. These fossil fuels contribute to Turkey's air pollution and its above average greenhouse gas emissions. Turkey mines its own lignite but imports three-quarters of its energy, including half the coal and almost all the oil and gas it requires, and its energy policy prioritises reducing imports.
The Electricity Generation Company is the largest electric power company in Turkey. Owned by the government, it produces and trades electricity throughout the country.
Coal in Europe is a term describing the use of coal as an energy source in Europe, including both thermal coal used for power generation and coking coal used for steel production.
Kışlaköy Coal Mine or Afşin Elbistan Mine is a lignite mine in Elbistan coalfield. The largest operating lignite mine in Turkey, it is open pit and can produce 7 million tonnes a year, which feeds the Afşin-Elbistan power stations.
Renewables supply a quarter of energy in Turkey, including heat and electricity. Some houses have rooftop solar water heating, and hot water from underground warms many spas and greenhouses. In parts of the west hot rocks are shallow enough to generate electricity as well as heat. Wind turbines, also mainly near western cities and industry, generate a tenth of Turkey’s electricity. Hydropower, mostly from dams in the east, is the only modern renewable energy which is fully exploited. Hydropower averages about a fifth of the country's electricity, but much less in drought years. Apart from wind and hydro, other renewables; such as geothermal, solar and biogas; together generated almost a tenth of Turkey’s electricity in 2022. Türkiye has ranked 5th in Europe and 12th in the world in terms of installed capacity in renewable energy. The share of renewables in Türkiye’s installed power reached to 54% at the end of 2022.
Turkey uses more electricity per person than the global average, but less than the European average, with demand peaking in summer due to air conditioning. Most electricity is generated from coal, gas and hydropower, with hydroelectricity from the east transmitted to big cities in the west. Electricity prices are state-controlled, but wholesale prices are heavily influenced by the cost of imported gas.
Coal, cars and lorries vent more than a third of Turkey's six hundred million tonnes of annual greenhouse gas emissions, which are mostly carbon dioxide and part of the cause of climate change in Turkey. The nation's coal-fired power stations emit the most carbon dioxide, and other significant sources are road vehicles running on petrol or diesel. After coal and oil the third most polluting fuel is fossil gas; which is burnt in Turkey's gas-fired power stations, homes and workplaces. Much methane is belched by livestock; cows alone produce half of the greenhouse gas from agriculture in Turkey.
The Zonguldak Eren Termik Santrali (ZETES) power stations in Zonguldak are 3 coal-fired power stations in Turkey totaling 2790 MW owned by Eren Holding via Eren Enerji.
The Afşin-Elbistan power stations are two coal-fired power stations in Turkey, in Afşin District in Kahramanmaraş Province. Both Afşin-Elbistan A, built in the 1980s, and the newer Afşin-Elbistan B burn lignite from the nearby Elbistan coalfield.
Çayırhan power station is a 620 MW operational coal fired power station in Turkey in Ankara Province. In 2019 land was expropriated for another lignite mine, to feed the a proposed extension, which was opposed as uneconomic and eventually had its licence revoked.
The Turkish Coal Operations Authority (TKİ) is the state-owned enterprise which mines lignite coal in Turkey. Turkey is the third-largest lignite producer in the world, with 7% of total production. In 2018 TKI mined 30 Mt of which 16 Mt was open pit and 14 Mt underground: and in the same year 20 Mt was sold, 12.6 Mt to power plants and 7.4 Mt to industry and households. TKİ is on the Global Coal Exit List compiled by the NGO Urgewald . It employs about 4000 people.
Coal in Turkey generated a third of the nation's electricity in 2023. There are 55 active coal-fired power stations with a total capacity of 21 gigawatts (GW). In 2023 coal imports for electricity generation cost 3.7 billion USD.
Homes and businesses in many Turkish cities burn coal, including the cheap and highly polluting lignite, to produce energy for heating and other purposes.
Coal-fired thermal power plants threaten the health of humans
coal-fired generation continues to be boosted by the availability of discounted Russian coal
the Ministry of Interior made an active decision not to approve the party's registration—a prerequisite for it to operate in Turkey
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