Minister of Environment: 5 Thermal Plants Entirely Closed

* Photos: Abdülhamit Topal - Ankara / AA

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Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum has announced that five thermal power plants have been completely shut down and one thermal plant has been partially closed.

As the time granted by the Ministry to thermal plants to complete the necessary environmental investments was over on December 31, the plants that failed to do the investments were sealed off yesterday (January 1).

Accordingly, Minister Kurum has informed that while temporary operating licenses have been granted to four thermal power plants, three plants have received the necessary environmental permissions.

Indicating that four units of Soma Thermal Plant in Manisa will be allowed to operate thrıougout winter, the Minister has shared the following information about other plants across the country:

"The thermal power plants of Kahramanmaraş Afşin A, Kütahya Seyitömer, Kütahya Tunçbilek, Sivas Kangal and Zonguldak Çatalağzı have been completely closed and Manisa Soma Thermal Plant has been partially closed.

"The administrations of the closed thermal power plants will not be allowed to start operating again as long as they do not complete the required environmental investments.

"The plants that we have granted temporary operating licenses are Bursa Orhaneli, Muğla Yatağan, Kahramanmaraş Afşin B and Ankara Çayırhan thermal power plants. As required by the regulations, they are obligated to apply to our Ministry for the permission and license within six months.

"Muğla Kemerköy, Muğla Yeniköy and Çanakkale 18 Mart Çan thermal power plants have received their environmental permission within the scope of the legislation on environment."

'We won't have problems with electricity supply'

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez has also said that the closed thermal plants will not lead to any problems in electricity supply:

"The closed power plants produce an average of 1,883 megawatt per hour. We have sufficient reserve capacity to meet it with other plants.

"In the upcoming period, we will not experience any problems caused by the closure of these plants."

What happened?

The legislative proposal postponing the installation of filters to 15 thermal power plants for another 2.5 years was approved by the votes of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on November 21, 2019.

President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vetoed the proposal on December 2. Two days later, the article postponing the installation of filters was removed from the Law on Amendments to the Digital Services Tax and Some Laws and the Statutory Decree no. 375. The legislative proposal was approved as such by the Parliament on December 5.

Making a statement on December 20, Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum reminded that the time granted to thermal power plants to abide by the related legislation on environment would be over on December 31, warning that all types of penal sanctions would be imposed on the ones that failed to do so. (EKN/SD)