Soma Kolin power station
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Soma Kolin power station (Soma Kolin Termik Enerji Santrali) is an operating power station of at least 510-megawatts (MW) in Türkpiyala village, Soma, Manisa, Türkiye. It is also known as Kolin Yırca power station, Soma Kolin Kayrakalti power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Soma Kolin power station | Türkpiyala village, Soma, Soma, Manisa, Türkiye | 39.316608, 27.748899 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 39.316608, 27.748899
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: lignite | 255 | CFB | 2019 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: lignite | 255 | CFB | 2019 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Hidro-Gen Enerji İth İhr Dağ Tic AŞ [100%] | Kolin Group |
| Unit 2 | Hidro-Gen Enerji İth İhr Dağ Tic AŞ [100%] | Kolin Group |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Aegean lignite mines (Soma, Denis)
Financing
- Source of financing: Unspecified Turkish banks
Background
The power station was previously referred to as the Kolin Yırca power station.
In 2012, Hidro-Gen Enerji (a subsidiary of the Kolin Group) won a TKI auction for a $1.6-billion project to build a coal mine and a 460-MW mine-to-mouth coal-fired power plant in Manisa province.[1][2][3]
In October 2012, Reuters reported that financing for Soma Kolin was to be provided by unspecified Turkish banks.[4]
In January 2013, it was announced that the plant would be built on the site of Deniş, a 400-year-old village with 265 residents, which would be relocated as part of the project's cost. Residents expressed anger about the plan.[5] In July 2013, the chairman of Kolin Construction met with local political officials in Soma to discuss the project, and move it forward.[6]
In January 2014, the EPDK gave Kolin the preliminary environmental permit for the project; Kolin contracted Chinese company Harbin Power Equipment to build the plant.[7] The project broke ground in March 2014, with Energy Minister Taner Yildiz laying the plant's cornerstone.[8][9]
On October 21, 2014, Yirca villagers and Greenpeace Mediterranean activists were attacked for trying to prevent construction of the power station, including the cutting down of 6,000 olive trees. On November 7, a Turkish court ruled the company's attempt to expropriate the land for the power station was without legal basis, stating that Turkey's national olive grove protection law forbids the company from building at the proposed site. The court also ruled that the decision cannot be appealed under current regulations. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinç said the country "cannot forsake the environment for the rules of wild capitalism", adding that "while the country needs energy, it also needs the trees."[10]
In April 2015 it was announced that the proposed power station would be constructed at a new site somewhere in between Türkpiyale and Kayrakaltı, about 15 kilometers away from Yırca. The Kolin Group was awaiting approval from authorities for the site change. The same article reported that the Kolin Group had been tipped off that the originally proposed construction site would be ruled unsuitable for construction, but had torn down the olive trees anyway. A new EIA is needed for construction at the new site.[11]
In October 2015 the project was issued a new production license.[12]
Based on satellite imagery from Planet, construction began before 2016 at the new location of Türkpiyala village. The power station is planned for operation in 2018. It is reported to be 2 x 255 MW.[13][14] In January 2018 a construction worker was killed in an accident.[15] The company claims the plant will meet the 2020 emission norms of the EU.[16]
In April 2018, a dispute between Kolin and Efor Industrial, a subcontractor on the project, resulted in the dismissal of two thousand subcontract workers.[17]
In January 2019, Unit 1 entered commercial operation.[18] In June 2019 Unit 2 entered commercial operation.[19]
The power station ran on lignite[9], reportedly 1600 kcal/kg with 43% ash and 23% moisture.[20]
In May 2022, it was announced that a 76.5 MW solar array would be developed at the site of the Soma Kolin plant. The addition would bring the facility to 586.5 MW of total energy generation.[21]
In the first nine months of 2024, Kolin was reportedly paid 752.5 million TL (US$21.6 million) in capacity mechanism payments for electricity that was not produced.[22]
Construction accidents
The construction of the plant was marked by a series of fatal accidents. On August 1, 2017, a worker named Yasin Adsiz suffered a fatal fall; on November 6, 2017, 18-year-old Mehmet Doğru fell to his death from a high of 15 meters. On January 26, 2018, a worker was killed and another worker was injured in an accident involving scaffolding and iron pilings.[17]
Workers protest
In March 2019, workers at the plant complained about health and safety problems at the plant, including unsanitary food and living conditions.[23]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Kolin Grubu'ndan Soma'ya 1 milyar dolarlık santral, Star Gazete, Oct. 8, 2012.
- ↑ Soma Kolin Termik Enerji Santrali, Kara Atlas, accessed May 2014.
- ↑ "SOMA KOLİN TERMİK," 3.10.2012
- ↑ Turkey's Kolin to invest $1 bln in coal power plant, Reuters, Oct 8, 2012.
- ↑ 400 asırlık köy haritadan silinecek, Akşan, Jan. 30, 2013.
- ↑ Termik Santral'in Temeli Mart Ayında Atılacak, Karaelmas Gazetesi, July 17, 2013.
- ↑ Kolin'in Soma Termik Santrali için önlisans, Enerji Günlüğü, Jan. 21, 2014.
- ↑ Kolin Soma Termik Santrali'nin temeli atıldı, Enerji Günlüğü, Mar. 19, 2014.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Soma Kolin Termik Santrali Temel Atma Töreni, Haberler, Mar. 19, 2014.
- ↑ Deniz Bayram, "Sadness turns to joy as Turkish coal project halted," Greenpeace, November 12, 2014
- ↑ "Yırca Village Ecstatic At Kolin Decision To Relocate Proposed Power Plant," Haberler, Apr 22, 2015
- ↑ "EU / 5906-18 / 03 394," Turkey EPDK, Oct 12, 2015
- ↑ "Soma Kolin Power Plant," Sumitomo SHI FW, July 2, 2017
- ↑ "Ongoing Projects," Kolin Group, accessed Dec 2017
- ↑ "Termik santral inşaatında iş cinayeti," evrensel, Jan 26, 2018
- ↑ "HIDRO-GEN ENERGY IMPORT-EXPORT DISTRIBUTION AND TRADE INC.," Kolin Group, accessed Mar 2018
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Soma’daki Kolin Termik Santrali inşaatında iki bin işçi işten atıldı," sendika.org, 13 April 2018
- ↑ China can build Hunan Thermal Power to build a commercial unit of Turkey Speedmaster 2×255MW subcritical coal-fired power station project, bjx.com, Jan. 25, 2019
- ↑ 一带一路 | 土耳其速马项目2号机组正式进入商业运行, Harbin International, Jun. 24, 2019
- ↑ "Soma Kolin Power Plant," Sumitomo fact sheet, accessed June 2018
- ↑ Soma Kolin Termik Santrali sahasına güneş santrali kurulacak Kaynak: Hidro-Gen Enerji, Soma Kolin Termik Santrali hibrit santrale dönüştürecek, Enerji Gunlugu, May 16, 2022
- ↑ Soma Termik Santrali için Kolin Holding’e 9 ay için 752 milyon teşvik verildiği ortaya çıktı, Patronlar Dünyası, November 3, 2024
- ↑ Kolin Termik Santrali işçileri: Tahtakurularından uyuyamıyoruz, Evrensel, Mar. 13, 2019
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.
