Çayırhan power station

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.{{cite web |title=Ankara |url=https://www.coalinturkey.com/coal-power-plants/sites/ankara/ |website=Coal in Turkey |access-date=14 May 2019}}

The project was a joint venture between Kolin, Kalyon and Çelikler.{{cite news |title=$1.1 billion investment planned in coal plant |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2017/02/08/11-billion-investment-planned-in-coal-plant |work=Daily Sabah |date=7 February 2017}} But in 2020 the licence expired and as of 2024 it belongs to EÜAŞ with a different licence number.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-03-20 |title=Bakan Bayraktar açıkladı! Yerli kömür üretiminde hedef 6 milyon ton |url=https://www.dunya.com/ekonomi/bakan-bayraktar-acikladi-yerli-komur-uretiminde-hedef-6-milyon-ton-haberi-720572 |access-date=2024-03-29 |website= |language=tr-TR}}

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

The government is giving a 15-year purchase guarantee.

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.

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

{{see also|Coal in Turkey}}

As Turkish lignite is heavy compared to its energy content coal must be sourced locally. According to one source Çayırhan is a longwall mine (therefore underground),{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-04-06 |title=Coal production in Turkey and major projects |url=https://www.mining-technology.com/data-insights/coal-in-turkey/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=Mining Technology |language=en-US}} but Global Energy Monitor says it is opencast. Coalfields in Ankara province include Beypazarı-Çayırhan, Gölbaşı-Karagedik, Gölbaşı-Bahçeköy, Ayaş-Kayıbucak and Şereflikoçhisar.

Despite the environmental impact assessment having been approved opponents of the extension claim the environment will be damaged.

{{As of|2020}} the plant is operating with inadequate dust filters{{Cite news|url=https://www.enerjiportali.com/mmo-baskani-termik-santraller-ile-ilgili-bir-basin-aciklamasi-yapti/|title=MMO Başkanı, Termik Santraller İle İlgili Bir Basın Açıklaması Yaptı|date=24 January 2020|work=Enerji Portalı|language=tr}} and Turkey has no legal limit on ambient fine particules (PM2.5). Opponents claim that Nallıhan bird sanctuary, 6 km away, could be damaged.

{{As of|2020||df=}} the plant is operating with inadequate sulfur treatment,{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/tr/bask%C4%B1-sonu%C3%A7-verdi-filtresiz-termik-santrallere-izin-%C3%A7%C4%B1kmad%C4%B1/a-47528161|title=Baskı sonuç verdi: Filtresiz termik santrallere izin çıkmadı {{!}} DW {{!}} 15.02.2019|website=DW.COM|language=tr-TR|access-date=2019-09-04}} and the area is a sulfur dioxide air pollution hotspot{{Cite news|url=https://storage.googleapis.com/planet4-international-stateless/2019/08/e40af3dd-global-hotspot-and-emission-sources-for-so2_16_august-2019.pdf|title=Global SO2 emission hotspot database|date=August 2019|publisher=Greenpeace}}

{{As of|2020||df=}} the plant is operating without sufficient NOx filtering.

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 it would not be economically viable to capture and store the gas.{{cite book |last1=Esmaeili |first1=Danial |date=June 2018 |title=Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage in the Context of Turkish Energy Market|publisher=Sabancı University |url=http://research.sabanciuniv.edu/36807/1/1806_IICECE%26CPaperCCUSinTurkey_0.pdf}}

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 and singer Tarkan.

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.{{Cite report |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-coal-2023/ |title=Boom and Bust Coal 2023 |date=2023-04-05 |publisher=Global Energy Monitor}}{{Rp|page=30}}{{Cite web |title=İklim Değişikliği Politika ve Araştırma Derneği |url=https://iklimdernegi.org/cevre-mevzuatina-uyum-sureci-baglaminda-bir-degerlendirme-cayirhan-termik-santrali-186.html |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=iklimdernegi.org}}{{Cite web |title=İklim Değişikliği Politika ve Araştırma Derneği |url=https://iklimdernegi.org/komurden-cikis-tartismalari-ekseninde-cayirhan-mahallesi-ve-adil-donusum-arastirma-raporu-172.html |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=iklimdernegi.org}}

{{Portal|Turkey|Energy|Environment}}

• Energy in Turkey
• List of power stations in Turkey
• Electricity sector in Turkey

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.gem.wiki/%C3%87ay%C4%B1rhan_power_station Çayırhan power station] on Global Energy Monitor
• [https://www.gem.wiki/%C3%87ay%C4%B1rhan_coal_mine Çayırhan coal mine] on Global Energy Monitor
• [http://eced.csb.gov.tr/ced/jsp/ek1/13659 2016 Environmental Impact Assessment (Turkish)]
• [http://eced.csb.gov.tr/ced/jsp/ek1/20858 2018 Environmental Impact Assessment (Turkish)]

{{Power stations in Turkey}}

Category:Coal-fired power stations in Turkey

Category:Buildings and structures in Ankara

Category:Environmental protests in Turkey