Coal power in Turkey

rdf:langString Coal power in Turkey

rdf:langString Coal power in Turkey generates between a quarter and a third of the nation's electricity. There are 54 active coal-fired power stations with a total capacity of 21 gigawatts (GW). Air pollution from coal-fired power stations is damaging public health. It is estimated that in 2019, air pollution from coal-fired power stations caused almost 5,000 premature deaths and over 1.4 million work-days lost to illness. 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. 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. Drought in Turkey is frequent, but thermal power stations use significant amounts of water. Coal-fired power stations are the largest source of greenhouse gas. Coal-fired stations emit over 1 kg of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt hour generated, 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.