- hot-spots
- deforestation
- Turkey
- Environmental destruction due to the coal plant in Amasra, Turkey
Environmental destruction due to the coal plant in Amasra, Turkey
Turkey
last update:
7 months agoProblems
A coal mine in Amasra has turned the region into an environmental hotspot
The Amasra Coal Mine and Power Plant is an energy project on the Black Sea coast near Amasra in the Turkish province of Bartın. The power plant is a 1,320 MW "ultra-supercritical" coal-fired power plant project consisting of two units of 660 MW each, using hard coal (anthracite) as raw material. Coal supplies more than a quarter of Turkey's primary energy. The heavily subsidized coal industry generates more than a third of the country's electricity and emits a third of Turkey's greenhouse gases. Thousands of people die prematurely each year from coal-related causes, the most common of which is local air pollution. Most of the coal mined in Turkey is lignite (lignite), which is more polluting than other types of coal. Turkey's energy policy encourages lignite mining in coal-fired power plants to reduce gas imports: coal accounts for more than 40 percent of domestic energy production.
Health and safety of workers in a coal mine
Methane explosions and other gas accidents cause most deaths in underground coal mines. The government has restricted access to statistics on workplace accidents, but coal mining is considered the most accident-prone sector of the economy. Miners suffer from respiratory illnesses such as black lung, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as back pain, periodontal disease, and other illnesses. For coal plant workers, there is an increased risk of respiratory infections.
Air Pollution
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states that old coal-fired power plants and residential heating systems emit dangerous levels of fine particulate matter. It, therefore, recommends reducing particulate emissions by replacing coal used for home heating with gas, and modernizing or shutting down old coal-fired power plants. Although the Turkish government receives reports on air pollution measurements from the chimneys of individual coal-fired power plants, it does not publish reports, unlike the EU.
Greenhouse gas emissions
In total, more than 150 million tons of CO2 were emitted from burning coal in 2018, about one-third of Turkey's greenhouse gases. Emissions from individual power plants with more than 20 megawatts are measured and include the Amasra coal mine. Emissions over the life cycle of Turkish coal-fired power plants are more than 1 kg of CO2 per kilowatt hour. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Amasra coal plant concludes that the projected CO2 emissions will be more than 60 million tons per year. By comparison, Turkey's total annual greenhouse gas emissions are about 520 million tons. Thus, more than a tenth of Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions come from the Amasra coal plant.
Forecast of the environmental impact of the Amasra coal plant
The impacts of the coal mine on the local ecology, economy, and society are expected to be severe and long-lasting. Consequences include deforestation, impacts on local livelihoods based on small-scale farming and fishing, and the coal plant's contribution to climate change. Banks and financial institutions should avoid financing a coal-fired power plant and mine to avoid aggravating the environmental situation of the region. Turkish authorities should take into account the environmental impact assessment of the coal-fired power plant project.
Gallery
6
Timelines
2022
October 15
In Turkey, there was an explosion in a coal mine in the district of Amasra in Bartın province - killing at least 28 people. The explosion occurred on October 14 at 18:15 local time - at the time of the accident 110 people were working in the mine. Coal mining at the mine has been suspended until the work is finished, stated Fatih Donmez, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy of Turkey. At the same time, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag said that the investigation into the incident at the mine continues.
2020
June 01
The 6th Chamber of the Council of State nullified the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization's 2016 environmental plan that had legalized the construction of a plant as a result of legal action taken by the Bartin Platform. The Council emphasized that 90% of the land allocated to the plant's construction in the plan was forest land.
2019
February 01
The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the plant's EIA "did not comply with the law" because it did not fully assess the project's environmental impact. "This decision showed that the EIA process was illegal and that our lawsuit was correct," said Erdogan Atmis.
2016
January 01
More than 2000 residents were joined by local NGOs to file a court case against a positive EIA decision for the plant. Following that, the project's environmental plan was revised to make it look suitable for a coal power plant. Local groups and some NGOs communicated their objections to this development, and if the objections are ignored they'll file another court case against this development. Hattat Holding’s chairman, Mehmet Hattat, issued a press release stating that, because of the extensive opposition on the ground, the project’s EIA process was taking too long and that the promoters were finding it difficult to attract international finance.
2014
December 03
The building of a disputed coal plant near Amasra will lead to the feeling of an estimated 63,000 trees, according to predictions. Experts say that if the project is realized, it will also have grave consequences on wildlife in the region. But the damage will not be limited to deforestation, as locals warn that the plant risks dealing a blow to the coastal town’s bid to enter UNESCO’s permanent cultural heritage list. Many experts have also warned that due to Amasra’s unique climate, the toxic gas emitted by the coal plant could envelop the town and threaten the health of its inhabitants health and fishing activities. Local activists gathered 40,000 signatures against the project, but Environment Minister İdris Güllüce has rejected the criticisms, noting that there was “very important” coal underground in the region.
2013
September 01
The EIA hearing for the proposed 1320 MW integrated power station was held. The power station has been opposed by residents, who challenged its permitting. The Turkish Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources rejected the plant's environmental impact assessment, in an apparent victory for opponents of the plant.
2010
January 01
Hema's website stated that it would be 1,100 megawatts. The proposal to build the plant has faced significant opposition, both in Amasra and in the provincial capital of Bartın, because pollution from the plant would hurt tourism and damage the local environment. Protests have been led by the Bartın Platform, which united various regional stakeholders opposed to the plant. 10,000 residents of Bartın held a protest against the plant. Later that year a petition against the plant collected 30,000 signatures. Moreover, public permitting meetings have been disrupted by residents.
2009
January 01
The company said it had made revisions to the project. The developers increased the capacity of the coal-fired power plant to 2,640 MW.
2006
January 01
The Hema company has asked the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) to build a 654-MW coal-fired power plant in Amasra. The company told locals that it only plans to build a new coal mine in the area, not a coal-fired power plant.