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Alpu power station (Alpu Termik Santral) is a cancelled power station in Alpu, Eskişehir, Türkiye.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Alpu power station | Alpu, Eskişehir, Türkiye | 39.897, 30.862 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: 39.897, 30.862
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | cancelled | coal: lignite | 360 | ultra-supercritical |
| Unit 2 | cancelled | coal: lignite | 360 | ultra-supercritical |
| Unit 3 | cancelled | coal: lignite | 360 | ultra-supercritical |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises |
| Unit 2 | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises |
| Unit 3 | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises | Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ; Turkish Coal Enterprises |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Eskişehir Alpu coal mine
Background
In May 2013, a study by Turkey's General Directorate of Mining Affairs (Maden İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü, or MİGEM) concluded that the Alpu district of Eskişehir province holds over 900 million tons of coal reserves. MİGEM announced plans to find a developer for a 300 MW coal-fired power plant in Alpu district.[1][2][3] In 2017, the ownership of the Alpu coalfield was transfered from TKI to EÜAŞ, and later same year the privatization process started.[4] It was planned for operation in 2019,[5] with plans to expand up to 6000 MW.[6] In May 2018 Selahattin Anaç, the former general manager of TKI stated that it was unclear whether the exploratory drilling data was to international standards. Anaç also said that the proposed model of the plant was too costly.[7] In 2019, the tender was called of by the Privatization Board of Turkey.[4] A tender was scheduled for October 2021. Minister Utku Çakırözer of the Republican People's Party (CHP) called for the tender to be cancelled on the grounds that coal power is "poisonous" and dangerous for the environment.[8]
In September 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change officially cancelled the associated Alpu coal mine's EIA due to public pressure. The decision to revoke the assessment followed the State Council's 2020 ruling to block the Alpu power station.[9]
Privatization
A tender to privatize the power station and Eskişehir Alpu Coal fields was due to be completed in January 2018, but was posponed 7 times because of legal opposition.[10][11][12] The tender was eventually called off in June 2019, the same month it was supposed to take place.[13][14] Despite the failed tender, the project was set to go forward,[15] and EÜAŞ commissioned a feasibility study on the Alpu coalfield from a private company in December 2019.[4]
In May 2020 the Council of State ruled against privatizing the Büyük Ova Conservation Area in the Eskişehir Alpu Plain, overturning a September 2017 decision by the Privatization High Council (ÖYK).[16][17]
As of January 2023, the State Council's decision was in appeal.[18]
Capacity and cost
It was initially reported that the installed capacity of the power plant will be 1,080 MW (3 x 360 MW) and that the total investment cost of the project is expected to be approximately US$1.8 billion.[19] Future expansion up to 7GW is said to be possible, however the very wet local coal could result in extra operational and maintenance costs and pollution.[20]
The Chamber of Electrical Engineers states that, due to a 15 year government purchase guarantee, the total cost of electricity from the plant could amount to 5.8 million US dollars (21.8 million lira) and that that would be a bad deal compared to renewable energy.[21]
The Environmental Impact Statement released in March 2018 described the plant as comprising two units, each 550 MWe gross and 506 MWe net, with 8% of the plant's gross output used for internal consumption. Total investment cost was estimated at US$ 1.637/kW, or US$1.8 billion total.[22]
Opposition
Months of protests in 2017 and 2018 included statues in gas masks, rap music, and a convoy of hundreds of tractors.[23] The mayor spoke out against the plant,[24] and in January 2018 the MP for the main opposition party joined a human chain formed in protest.[25] In the spring of 2018 protestors took to the Porsuk River[26] and in the election campaign the main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu [27] and local candidate Nuray Akçasoy[28] spoke out against the plant.
The May 2020 decision by the State Council to cancel the privatization of the plant meant that development of the project was not permitted to continue. The Mayor of the Eskişehir municipality stated: "with its decision, the Council of State said 'stop' to this evil in Eskişehir. This decision will be an important touchstone in our struggle".[29]
Health Impact
Greenpeace estimates that the plant would lead to 3,200 early deaths.[30] In October 2020 the Right To Clean Air Platform (Temiz Hava Hakkı Platformu) released a study estimating that the plant would affect the health of 11 million people in 24 provinces and cause 3,200 premature deaths. The study also found that agriculture on 125,000 acres of farmland near the plant will be negatively impacted and that mercury from the plant will enter the food chain through nearby waterways.[31]
Environmental Impact
In December 2017, it was estimated that the power station would emit 8 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.[32]
The Alpu EIA was approved in March 2018 but is being contested in court.[33] In May 2018 the Chamber of Geological Engineers released a detailed report criticizing the EIA on multiple grounds including not properly considering the risk of earthquakes and landslides, not enough analysis of the impact on water, and not including environmental impact in the cost-benefit analysis.[34] In May 2019 Odunpazari District President Ertugrul Balkan stated that the plant would destroy local agriculture and animal husbandry by damaging the soil and groundwater.[35] The Alpu plain has been declared an agricultural site by the government and construction and operation of the plant would disrupt and contaminate water supplies needed for farming.[36]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Alpu'da 1 Milyar Ton Kömür Rezervi Bulundu, Gazete A24, May 8, 2013.
- ↑ Eskişehir'e İkinci Termik Santral Yolda , 2 Eylül, June 12, 2013.
- ↑ Eskişehir Alpu, Kara Atlas, accessed Mar. 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Türkiye'ye Güç Veriyoruz: 2019 Faaliyet Raporu . Elektrik Üretim Anonim Şirketi. Report.
- ↑ 2015-2019 Strategic Plan, enerji.gov.tr, 2015
- ↑ "MADEN tüm maden haberleri... Yeni rezevler, Türkiye'yi kömürden vazgeçirmiyor," enerjiajansi.net, Dec 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Anaç: EÜAŞ ve TKİ sistem içinde kalmalı", Enerji Günlüğü, 5 May 2018
- ↑ Call for 'thermal power plant' from Çakırözer, Eskisehir, Oct. 15, 2021
- ↑ Eskişehir Çevre ve Yaşam Platformu: "Toprağımızı, suyumuzu vermeyeceğiz" dedik! Birlikte başardık, evrensel, Sept. 13, 2022
- ↑ Elektrik Üretim AŞ`ye Ait Taşınmazların (Kömür Rezerv Alanı ile Bu Rezerve Dayalı Santralin ve Diğer Varlıkların Yapılacağı Alanların) Özelleştirme İhale İlanı,Privatization Administration, September 2017
- ↑ Alpu Termik Santrali ihalesi 3. kez ertelendi, yeşilgazete, 24 April 2018
- ↑ Eskişehir coal-fired thermal power plant tender was postponed once again, Eskişehir Anadolu Gazetesi], Oct. 16, 2018
- ↑ Alpu İhalesi Yeniden İptal Edildi, Madencilik Turkiye, July 1 2019
- ↑ Alpu’nun verimli arazilerine kurulmak istenen termik santral ihalesine iptal, Diken, Jun. 28, 2019
- ↑ Termik santral ihalesi iptal edildi, Sözcü, June 29, 2019
- ↑ Alpu Ovası termik santral projesi Danıştay'a takıldı, Alpu termik belasından kurtuldu, Evrensel, May 5, 2020
- ↑ Eskişehir’e yapımı planlanan ‘zehir santrali’ne iptal kararı çıktı, ilerihaber.org, May 6, 2020
- ↑ Communication with CAN Europe, January 2023
- ↑ Haluk Direskeneli, Turkey: Eskişehir Alpu Coal Fields And 1080 New Thermal Power Plant – Analysis, Eurasia Review, October 2017
- ↑ Eskişehir Alpu Coal Fields and 1080 MWe New Thermal Power Plant Project, TESPAM, October 2017
- ↑ "Alım garantili SPE'nin faturası ağır" ," Gerçek Gündem, Feb 6, 2018
- ↑ Alpu EIA, ELEKTRİK ÜRETİM A.Ş., March 2018, p. 20
- ↑ Turkey’s coal dependency triggers creative protest in Eskişehir, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, January 2018
- ↑ Büyükerşen: Termik santral Eskişehir için bir cinayettir, evrensel, December 2017
- ↑ Eskişehir’de kömürlü termik santrale karşı zincir oluşturuldu, Hürriyet, January 2018
- ↑ Eskişehir'de termik santral protestosu, Anadolu Gazetesi, 5 May 2018
- ↑ KILIÇDAROĞLU’NDAN TERMİK SANTRAL TEPKİSİ, ESGündem, 27 May 2018
- ↑ Nuray Akçasoy'dan çarpıcı termik santral açıklaması!, Anadolu Gazetesi, 5 June 2018
- ↑ Eskişehir’de halkın iradesi kazandı! Termik santral yapımını Danıştay iptal etti, Sozcu, May 5, 2020
- ↑ Rapora göre 3 bin 200 ‘erken ölüm’e davetiye: Eskişehirliler ‘Kömürü ES geç’ Diken, , 5 May 2018
- ↑ Alpu Kömürlü Termik Santralı için çarpıcı rapor: 24 ilde 11 milyon insanın sağlığına mal olacak , Birgun, Oct. 27, 2020
- ↑ Eskişehir Alpu Ovası’nda “çevre” cinayeti, BirGün, Dec 21 2017
- ↑ Eskişehir kömürlü termik santrali yargıya taşıdı, Turizm Haberleri, 28 March 2018
- ↑ ESKİŞEHİR ALPU TERMİK SANTRAL PROJESİ NİHAİ ÇED RAPORUNUN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ RAPORU, TMMOB JEOLOJİ MÜHENDİSLERİ ODASI, 2018
- ↑ Alpu Termik Santrali, Eskişehir için büyük tehlike!, Anadolu Gazetesi, May 27, 2019
- ↑ Alpu termik santral ihalesi yedinci denemeden sonra iptal edildi , Yesil Gazete, Jun. 29, 201
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
