Afşin-Elbistan C was a planned 1800-
MWcoal-fired power station which was proposed to be built in
Turkey by the state-owned mining company Maden Holding. Estimated to cost over 17 billion
lira, at planned capacity it would have generated about 3% of
the nation's electricity. According to the
environmental impact assessment (EIA) the plant would have burned 23 million tonnes of
lignite annually, and emit over 61 million tonnes of
CO2 each year for 35 years.
However in 2021 Turkey targeted net zero carbon emissions by 2053.[1] It would have been the
least carbon efficient coal-fired power station and the largest single
emitter of greenhouse gas in the world. In March 2022
Kahramanmaraş Administrative Court stopped the project on the grounds of possible soil and air pollution - although this decision could be appealed to the Council of State (Danıştay).[2] In June 2022 the Kahramanmaraş Administrative Court canceled the 'EIA positive' report.[3]
In January 2023 the National Energy Plan was published: it forecast that 1.7 GW more local coal power would be connected to the grid by 2030 but did not say where.[4]: 15
In 2020
Kahramanmaraş deputy Sefer Aycan, from the
Nationalist Movement Party, called for a parliamentary investigation.[11] In mid-2021
Global Energy Monitor listed the plant's status as "pre-permit development",[12] and negotiations with Chinese companies continued.[13] But later in 2021 China stopped funding overseas coal power.[14][15]
Coal
The plant would be supplied by a nearby opencast lignite mine owned by
Maiden Holdings.[16] According to a 2019 report to
JORC standards there are 950 million tons of reserves, with the average
energy value of coal of 1,145 Kcal/kg.[17] Seam depths are 50 – 175 m, moisture content 53%, ash content 20% and sulfur content 1.2%.[18]
Economics
The plant was planned to operate for 35 years and was proposed to be funded the
Turkey Wealth Fund (TWF), the country's
sovereign wealth fund, being a major partner.[13] The TWF plans to pay dividends to the treasury by 2025.[19] This is in accordance with the
energy policy of Turkey, which prioritises
local sources of energy to reduce coal and natural gas imports, partly in order to maintain energy security.[19] Verus Partners advised on finance,[20] but despite low production costs,[21] the private sector was not interested, as the coal is low-quality.[19] The TWF claims the plant would have an economic life of 35 years,[22] create "serious employment",[23] and Vice President
Fuat Oktay said in 2020 that it would reduce the
current account deficit.[24] According to
Carbon Tracker, new wind and solar power plants are cheaper than building new coal-power plants.[25]
Technology
The station is planned to run 6,948 hours per year to generate 11,380 GWh.[26] By using a
supercritical boiler, the plant will be more efficient and emit less
local air pollution[27] than all other large (over 400 MW)
local lignite-fuelled power stations in Turkey, as they use subcritical boilers. According to Turkey Wealth Fund General Manager Zafer Sonmez, the plant will be environmentally friendly, using the latest
emission control technologies.[23] But, according to campaign group "Right to Clean Air Platform", it would still result in thousands of early deaths over the lifetime of the plant.[28] Cooling water would be supplied from Hurman Creek via the forthcoming Karakuz Dam,[29] to be built by
TOKİ, which will also run a small hydropower plant and supply water for irrigation.[30] According to
Climate Action Network Europe the plant would increase the risk of drought in the area.[31] Construction materials would be transported via a forthcoming Afşin ring road.[32]
Ali Öztunç, local MP and environment spokesperson for the main opposition
Republican People's Party, has spoken out against the plant[47] and asked in a parliamentary question why it should be built on agricultural land.[48] Environmentalists claim the country already has too much capacity[49] and contend that the plant will damage local water resources.[50] Environmental and public health groups criticised the EIA for describing coal as clean energy[51] and, in February 2020, thousands of people filed petitions against its approval:[52] but it was approved by the
Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation in March.[53] In November 2021 an expert report commissioned by the Maraş Regional Administrative Court said that the EIA positive decision given to Afşin-Elbistan C was faulty as it failed to accurately assess the project's impact on agricultural activities, environmental pollution, water basins and human health: the court has yet to decide whether to cancel the EIA decision.[54][8] In December 2021 environmental group
TEMA Foundation said that, as Turkey had recently ratified the
Paris Agreement to limit
climate change, the plans to build the plant should be immediately abandoned.[55]
Notes
^62 megatonnes would be emitted annually[33] if run at the targeted
capacity factor, whereas Turkey's current annual emissions are 521 megatonnes.[35]By simple arithmetic 62 megatonnes is more than 10% of 521+62 megatonnes.
^On average somewhat over a million tonnes of CO2 was emitted for every
TWh of electricity generated in Turkey by coal-fired power stations in 2010.[36] This power station aims to generate just over 12.5 TWh (gross) per year.[37] The calculation in the EIA assumes an emission factor of 94.6 tCO2/TJ,[38] which is three times the average of 31 for Turkish lignite,[39] but it is unclear whether this is the only reason the CO2 emissions per kWh are predicted to be very high compared to the 2010 average. Since 2020, more stringent filtering of local air pollutants from the smokestack has been compulsory.[40] Moreover, although the average is about 2800,[41] the
net calorific value of Turkish lignite varies between 1000 and 6000 kcal/kg.[42]
^61,636,279.98 tCO2/year divided by 11,380 GWh/year equals 61,636.27998 Gg CO2 divided by 11,380 GWh equals 5.4 kg CO2/kWh
^
abÇınar (2020), p. 319: Atmosfere Verilecek CO2 Miktarı: Toplam Emisyon Miktarı (EM) = AD x EF x OF AD: Faaliyet Verisi (TJ, t veya Nm3) EF: Emisyon Faktörü (tCO2/TJ, tCO2/t veya tCO2/Nm3) OF: Yükseltgenme Faktörü ADKömür = 23.104.479,2 ton/yıl * 28,2 TJ/Gg = 651.546,3TJ/yıl EMKömür = 651.546,3 TJ/yıl * 94,6 tCO2/TJ * 1 = 61.636.279,98 tCO2/yıl "Atmosfere Verilecek CO2 Miktarı: ....... = 61.636.279,98 tCO2/yıl" means Amount of CO2 which will be emitted to the atmosphere: Total Quantity Emitted (EM) = AD x EF x OF AD: Activity Data (TJ, t veya Nm3) EF: Emission Factor (tCO2/TJ, tCO2/t veya tCO2/Nm3) OF: Oxidation Factor ADCoal = 23.104.479,2 ton/year * 28,2 TJ/Gg = 651.546,3TJ/year EMCoal = 651.546,3 TJ/year * 94,6 tCO2/TJ * 1 = 61.636.279,98 tCO2/year
^Çınar (2020), p. xix: "yıllık ortalama brüt 12.506 GWh, net 11.380 GWh enerji üretimi hedeflenmektedir." means "targeted annual generation is 12,506 GWh gross, 11,380 GWh net"