Çayırhan power station is a 620 MW operational coal fired power station in Turkey in

Ankara Province Ankara Province (, ) is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey with the capital city Ankara. Its area is 25,632 km2, and its population is 5,782,285 (2022). History The site of the modern city has been home to settlements ...

. In 2019 land was expropriated for another

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), 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 ...

mine, to feed the a proposed extension, which was opposed as uneconomic and eventually had its licence revoked.

History

In 2017 the government privatized the Çayırhan-B lignite coalfield on condition a coal-fired power plant is built, in the hope that it would be the first of a wave of similar deals for various lignite coalfields around the country.

Ownership

The project was a joint venture between Kolin, Kalyon and Çelikler. But in 2020 the licence expired and as of 2024 it belongs to EÜAŞ with a different licence number.

Finance

An extension was proposed at an estimated cost of $1.1-billion but was not done.

Subsidies

The government is giving a 15-year purchase guarantee.

Economics

The winning consortium bid $60.4 per megawatt, but according to opponents of the extension expanding Turkey's solar power would save taxpayers money in the long term.

Employment

The company said it would employ 500 people in the plant and 1,500 for coal mining.

Coal supply

As Turkish lignite is heavy compared to its energy content coal must be sourced locally. According to one source Çayırhan is a

longwall Longwall mining is a form of underground coal mining where a long wall of coal is mined in a single slice (typically thick). The section of rock that is being mined, known as the longwall panel, is typically long, but can be up to long and wi ...

mine (therefore underground), but

Global Energy Monitor Global Energy Monitor (GEM) is a San Francisco–based non-governmental organization which catalogs fossil fuel and renewable energy projects worldwide. GEM shares information in support of clean energy and its data and reports on energy trend ...

says it is opencast. Coalfields in Ankara province include Beypazarı-Çayırhan, Gölbaşı-Karagedik, Gölbaşı-Bahçeköy, Ayaş-Kayıbucak and Şereflikoçhisar.

Environmental Impact

Despite the

environmental impact assessment Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental impact, environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the te ...

having been approved opponents of the extension claim the environment will be damaged.

Dust

the plant is operating with inadequate dust filters and Turkey has no legal limit on ambient fine particules (PM2.5). Opponents claim that

Nallıhan Nallıhan is a municipality and district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,079 km2, and its population 26,553 (2022). It is 157 km from the city of Ankara. Its elevation is 625 m. Nallıhan is one of many towns that claim to ...

bird sanctuary, 6 km away, could be damaged.

Sulfur Dioxide

the plant is operating with inadequate sulfur treatment, and the area is a

sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...

air pollution hotspot

Nitrogen oxides

the plant is operating without sufficient NOx filtering.

Greenhouse gases

After extension the power station would contribute an estimated 4 megatonnes ( Mt) a year to Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions. As Turkey has no

carbon emission trading Carbon emission trading (also called carbon market, emission trading scheme (ETS) or cap and trade) is a type of emissions trading scheme designed for carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). A form of carbon pricing, its purpose ...

it would not be economically viable to capture and store the gas.

Opposition

The Chamber of Mechanical Engineers has questioned why the existing plant was granted a 2020 operating license without meeting air pollution standards. Opponents include Ankara

350.org 350.org is an international environmental organization addressing the climate crisis. Its stated goal is to end the use of fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy by building a global, grassroots movement. The 350 in the name stands fo ...

and singer

Tarkan Tarkan may refer to: People * Tarkan (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Tarkan (singer) (born 1972), Turkish pop singer Other uses

* Tarkhan, an ancient Turkic and Mongol nobility title * Tarkan (comics), a fic ...

. In 2022 the NGO Climate Change, Policy, and Research Association alleged that the power station did not comply with flue gas regulations, was burning coal from a mine which did not have a permit, and risked collapsing.

References

External links

Çayırhan power station
on

Çayırhan coal mine
on

2016 Environmental Impact Assessment (Turkish)

2018 Environmental Impact Assessment (Turkish)
{{Power stations in Turkey Coal-fired power stations in Turkey Buildings and structures in Ankara Environmental protests in Turkey