Coal-Fired Power Plants Choke Zonguldak

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The photo above belongs to Çatalağzı district of Zonguldak province. Each are operating and under construction coal-fired thermal power plants.

As you come closer to Çatalağzı, first you see rising smoke and then you feel pollution in your nasal passage. In fact, according to measurement performed by Greenpeace in 2014, pollution is three times more than reliable limits of World Health Organization (WHO).

Life of Zonguldak where most resourceful coal-fired thermal power plants are located is based on the slogan “coal is bread”.

The city is also the place where the first coal-fired thermal power plant is built.

The first plant was built by the state (ÇATES) in Çatalağzı in 1946. The plant, which generates electricity on a small scale was shut down in 1991 when it expired. Afterwards, a new one was built by state again and now Elsan company bought it.

However, what left the city without oxygen were two thermal power plants (ZETES 1-2) of 1,390-megawatt power installed by Eren Holding in 2010. Furthermore, another plant of 1,400-megawatt power is in construction and planned to be finished by 2016.

The company imports coal as it is cheaper, and that it built a port for the imported coal, and trucks continuously carry coal.

In contrast to Black Sea cities which are known with its beautiful nature, Zonguldak has now turned into a black city in coal smoke.

Coal-fired thermal power plants are among the industries that cause most air pollution.

In the district, that is the most complained issue by residents. Everyone say “we can’t breathe anymore”. They beef about not being able to grow fruits and vegetables. They say they can’t open the doors, and balcony stones turn black in a day. 

Allegation that filters don't function

Ayşe and İsmet Dinçer living right across the plant inhales smoke across the land that they had to sell because of forced expropriation. General opinion is that necessary filtering system is not always implemented as they consume electricity in the plants. There is lack of trust as to inspection.

Kadir Orhan from Livable Zonguldak Platform says online system that ensures inspection of flue gases hasn’t been installed. Hence, whether or when there is any filter can never be precisely known. 

Impact on health

Greenpeace’s research is of the conviction that the plants in Zonguldak cause premature death and diseases such as undeveloped lung, asthma, KOAH are seen in one fifth of births.

Increase in cancer has been seen in the city. However, in the ÇED report of the third santral, smoking is shown as the reason of this increase by plant owners.

Sea pollution

Kadir Orhan claims air pollution harms seriously Black Sea alongside with air pollution.

“The plants draw 3,000,000 cubic meters of water from sea a day. They pollute and return it to the sea. This will reach 8,000,000 as the new plant starts-up. Besides, these waters heated in the plant increase sea temperature. It causes fish death in both ways; firstly, it kills whilst drawing water, and secondly, they die due to temperature change.    

Employment illusion

Initially, the reason why people haven’t strongly reacted against the plants is the hope of employment. Nevertheless, they have come to understand in time that there’s not an employment as much as they hoped.

Common sentence everyone voice is, “We are the ones inhaling the poison but it is others who benefit”.

Plan to build 14 plants in Black Sea

Unfortunately, thermal power plant nightmare is not limited to Zonguldak. 14 plants are planned to be built on coastline of 78 kilometers from Ereğli to Amasra.

Another important impact of the coal-fired thermal power plants which are not mentioned widespread by locals is their contribution to climate change.

More than 70 coal-fired thermal power plants of 66.5 GW of power are planned to be built in addition to 24 available ones, and three others under construction at the moment.

Turkey ranks 4th in construction of new coal-fired plants after China, India, and Russia. (NV/TK)

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