Kangal power station
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Kangal power station is an operating power station of at least 457-megawatts (MW) in Mağara, Kangal, Sivas, Türkiye.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Kangal power station | Mağara, Kangal, Sivas, Türkiye | 39.077483, 37.294973 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: 39.077483, 37.294973
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: lignite | 150 | subcritical | 1989 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: lignite | 150 | subcritical | 1990 |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal: lignite | 157 | subcritical | 2000 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ; Kangal Termik Santral Elektrik AŞ | Anadolu Birlik Holding AŞ; Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ |
| Unit 2 | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ; Kangal Termik Santral Elektrik AŞ | Anadolu Birlik Holding AŞ; Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ |
| Unit 3 | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ; Kangal Termik Santral Elektrik AŞ | Anadolu Birlik Holding AŞ; Electricity Generation Company (Türkiye) AŞ |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Sivas Kangal coal mine
Financing
- Source of financing: İş Bankası, Vakıfbank, Garanti, Ziraat, Yapı Kredi
Background
The 3 x 150 MW subcritical coal plant was commissioned from 1989 to 2000. It was rehabbed in 2012.[1] On its website (2017), co-owner Konya Şeker stated that the installed capacity was now 536.66 MW.[2] The updated capacity of Unit 3 was 157 MW.[3][4]
The power station was reportedly funded by İş Bankası, Vakıfbank, Garanti, Ziraat, and Yapı Kredi.[5]
Environmental impact and criticism
In February 2019 the Right to Clean Air Platform, a coalition of 17 professional organizations and NGOs, successfully campaigned to stop the Turkish Parliament from delaying stronger air pollution requirements for old coal plants from 2019 until 2021.[6] The delay would have allowed Kangal to continue to operate without a desulphurization system or modernised dust filters.[7] The delay would have allowed Kangal to continue to operate without a modern dust, desulphurization and denitrification system.[8] [9] In November 2019 the Turkish Parliament approved the bill.[10] However on Dec. 2, 2019 President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vetoed the bill and said this veto was motivated by "environmental sensitivity".[11]
As a result, Kangal and other privatised coal power plants that have not completed the required infrastructure including filtration system must complete these requirements beginning Jan. 1, 2020 or these plants will face closure and/or fines.[12] In January 2020 Kangal was one of five plants closed by the government under Environmental Law 2872 for failing to install a more effective air filtration system. The other closed plants were Afşin-Elbistan A, Kütahya Seyitömer, Kütahya Tunçbilek, and Zonguldak Çatalağzı.[13] In late January 2020 it was reported that one unit of Kangal had resumed operating after installing a new flue gas filtration system and being granted a "temporary activity certificate."[14]
As of May 2020 Unit 1 of the plant was operating with a "temporary activity certificate" that will allow it to continue operating until January 2021 despite its failure to comply with filtration requirements under Environmental Law 2872.[15] In May 2020 Greenpeace applied to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to shut down Kangal and eight other plants not in compliance with Environmental Law 2872 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the correlation between fine particulate pollution and higher mortality rates from Covid-19.[15][16] In June 2020 Unit 2 and Unit 3 were declared in compliance with the new filter requirement and were cleared to resume operating with a one-year temporary license.[17] A July 2021 report by Climate Change Policy and Research Association found that the plant was still not in compliance with flue gas emissions standards but was continuing to operate as a result of obtaining a Temporary Activity Certificate (GFB).[18]
According to February 2022 reporting, the temporary operating license expired in April 2021, and a new environmental permit was not obtained until July 2021. Yet, the plant continued to operate in the interim and was not issued a sanction for the noncompliance.[19]
In June 2023, in honor of World Environment Day, several environmental organizations in Turkey came together to call for a phase out of coal by 2030. It was claimed that for the 30 years that Kangal power station was in operation, sheep farming, goat farming and agricultural productivity had decreased in the Sivas/Kangal area. An advocate from Bakırtepe Environment Platform stated (Google translate): "In this age we live in the middle of the climate and food crisis, it is imperative that we abandon coal for the revival of animal husbandry and agriculture in our region."[20]
In August 2024, Sivas politicians submitted a request to the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change regarding the environmental and public health impacts of Kangal power station. They stated (Google translate): "People cannot even go out on their balconies due to the ashes emitted by this power plant. When will you take precautions?.. The dangers created by the ashes of the coal burned for electricity generation at the Kangal thermal power plant continue to negatively affect the lives of citizens".[21]
As of October 2024, protests against the impacts of the power station were escalating. A village headman had reportedly claimed that his chronic illness was caused by ash pollution from Kangal power station. He passed away two months after making the statement.[22]
Staff strike
In July 2022, the power station's workforce did not enter the plant for 10 days to fight against poverty wages. The workers did the same job as the employees of the related Soma power station, but they allegedly were paid less money. According to one worker, staff at Kangal power station made 55 to 65 liras less per day. They were asking for a 50% raise and benefits, including meal vouchers.[23] Various local organizations and journalists supported the workers' strike, including helping to craft a press release.[24]
The nearly 500 striking employees returned to work after 10 days. The union and worker representatives stated that through negotiations a "positive outcome" was achieved.[25]
As of July 2023, Kangal power station reportedly had a debt of $750 million.[26]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Kangal Thermal Power Plant Rehabilitation" Internetional Strategic Research Organisation, accessed November 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Kangal Thermal Power Plant" Konya Şeker website, accessed December 6, 2017.
- ↑ Communication with CAN Europe
- ↑ Hasan Can Adem and Cahit Gürlek, "Kangal Termik Santralinin 3. Ünitesinin Enerji ve Ekserji Analizi" CUMHURİYET ÜNİVERSİTESİ, March 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Coal & Climate Change - 2017," Önder Algedik, Aug 2017
- ↑ Step forward for health protection in Turkey: Proposal to extend the pollution exemptions given to privatised coal power plants withdrawn, Health And Environment Alliance, Feb. 15, 2019
- ↑ Turkish Parliament will vote about polluting coal power plants next week, Health And Environment Alliance, Feb. 1, 2019
- ↑ Communication with HEAL, December 2019
- ↑ Turkish Parliament will vote about polluting coal power plants next week, Health And Environment Alliance, Feb. 1, 2019.
- ↑ 50’inci madde kabul edildi, Yeşil Ekonomi, 22 Nov. 2019
- ↑ Erdoğan Vetoes Bill Postponing Installation of Filters to Coal-Fired Plants, Bianet, 02 December 2019.
- ↑ TBMM Plan Ve Bütçe Komisyonu, Santrallere Filtre Düzenlemesini Yeniden Görüştü, Meclis Haber, 4 December 2019.
- ↑ 5 thermal power plants that did not install filters and did not take flue gas treatment measures were completely closed, BBC, Jan. 2, 2020
- ↑ Kangal Termik Santrali'nda üretim sürprizi, Haberturk, Jan. 28, 2020
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Koronavirüs döneminde filtresiz termik santraller kapatılmalı, Cumhuriyet, May 22, 2020
- ↑ Isabelle Garretsen, How air pollution exacerbates Covid-19 BBC, Apr. 27, 2020
- ↑ Son dakika... Bakan Kurum'dan termik santral açıklaması, Hurriyet, Jun. 8, 2020
- ↑ Kömürlü termik santralleri çevreyi ve havayı kirletmeye devam ediyor, Sozcu, Jul. 7, 2021
- ↑ Çevre Sayfası... Köprüden önce son çıkış, Gazete Duvar, February 20, 2022
- ↑ 17 STK’dan Karar Vericilere: Kömürden 2030’a Kadar Adil Çıkış Talep Ediyoruz, Eko IQ, June 5, 2023
- ↑ CHP’den Kangal Termik Santrali İçin Soru Önergesi!, Flash Haber, August 12, 2024
- ↑ Köylülerden termik santral isyanı: Bir bir ölmek istemiyoruz, Haber Global, October 8, 2024
- ↑ Direnişteki Kangal Termik Santrali işçileri: “Gına geldi artık, taleplerimiz karşılanana kadar girmeyeceğiz içeri”, Sendika.org, July 21, 2022
- ↑ Kangal Termik Santrali direnişinde ne oldu?, Sendika.org, July 31, 2022
- ↑ Kangal Termik Santrali'nde iş bırakma eylemi sona erdi, Son Dakika, July 29, 2022
- ↑ Konya çiftçisi son 3 yılda iyi para kazandı! Diplerde değiliz, Merhaba Gazetesi, January 12, 2024
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.
