* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive
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The bill of law postponing the installation of filters to 15 thermal power plants across Turkey has been approved by the votes of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) MPs.
The approval of the bill has been announced by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kütahya MP Dr. Ali Fazıl Kasap on Twitter.
Kasap has made the following statement: "The Article 50 of the omnibus bill discussed at the Parliamentary General Assembly has passed by the votes of AKP and MHP despite our all objections. With this bill passed, 15 thermal plants in Turkey will continue poisoning people without installing filters to their chimneys for another 2.5 years. Shame on you!"
The 15 thermal power plants in Turkey are the following:
- Çanakkale / ÇAN 18 Mart Thermal Plant
- Şırnak / Silopi Thermal Plant
- Kahramanmaraş / Afşin Elbistan A Thermal Plant
- Karabük / Kardemir Thermal Plant
- Kütahya / Tunçbilek Thermal Plant
- Kütahya / Seyitömer Thermal Plant
- Manisa / Soma A Thermal Plant
- Manisa / Soma B Thermal Plant
- Sivas / Kangal Thermal Plant (1st and 2nd units)
- Zonguldak / Çatalağzı Thermal Plant
- Ankara / Çayırhan Thermal Plant
- Muğla / Yeniköy Thermal Plant
- Muğla / Kemerköy Thermal Plant
- Bursa / Orhaneli Thermal Plant
- Kahramanmaraş / Afşin Elbistan B Thermal Plant
What does a filter do?According to the data shared by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), if no filters are used, a 100-Megawatt thermal power plant burning coal leaves the following contaminating impacts on nature: Sulphur Oxides (SO2) - 45,000 ton/year Nitric Oxides (NOx) - 26,000 ton/year Carbon Monoxide (CO) - 750 ton/year Solid Particles (PM) - 32,500 ton/year Hydrocarbons - 250 ton/year Ash - 5,660 ton/year |
People applied for their closure
As reported by Diken news website on November 5, people of Zonguldak, Çanakkale and Afşin-Elbistan applied to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and requested the closure of 15 coal-fired thermal power plants operating without filters on their chimneys.
Complaining about the environmental pollution caused by these plants, people, together with Greenpeace, requested that these 15 power plants be closed by the end of 2019 on the ground that they have not made the necessary environmental investments.
Privatized in 2013, coal-fired thermal power plants were given time till the end of 2019 to complete the necessary environmental investments. In the meantime, toxic gases have been emitted by these plants for six years without making the necessary investments such as installation of filters or flue gas treatment systems. (EKN/SD)
