Ministry cancels coal-fired thermal power plant project in Kırklareli

* Photo: Deniz Bayram/Twitter - "Don't let Thrace get dark with coal"

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The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has cancelled the coal-fired thermal power plant project in Turkey's northwestern Kırklareli province as a result of Greenpeace's efforts for two years.

Greenpeace has welcomed the news, noting that its slogan against the construction of a coal-fired power plant in the Thrace has borne fruit.

'Premature death of 11,230 people prevented'

Underlining that 85 percent of the project's 50-hectare area consists of agricultural lands, Greenpeace has indicated that if this project was not cancelled, it would lead to the premature death of 230 people, 7,800 cases of respiratory diseases and labor loss of 1,300 people as well 111 million Euro cost due to air pollution in 40 years.

According to the statement of Greenpeace, taken together with the two previously cancelled power plants in Thrace in northwestern Turkey, the premature death of 11,230 people has been prevented.

Referring to its campaign entitled "Olmaz Be Ya," which roughly means "No way" in the dialect of the people of Thrace, Greenpeace has said that 75 thosuand people have supported their campaign and helped Kırklareli to raise its voice against the coal-fired thermal power plant project.

The organization has noted that with this recent decision of cancellation, the agricultural fields of Kırklareli, which are almost three times more fertile than the Turkey average, have been protected from destruction.

'Same decision must be taken for other cities'

Onur Akgül, the Climate and Energy Project Director of Greenpeace Mediterranean, has also made a statement about the cancellation:

"Today is a good day for the struggle against coal. Today, the struggle of the people of Thrace and civil society organizations has eliminated yet another threat of a coal-fired thermal power plant. Saying 'no' to the coal-fired thermal power plant for their lives, future and right to clean air for the love of sunflowers, the people of Thrace have won."

As noted by Onur Akgül, a previous Greenpeace Mediterranean report has shown that the area where the coal-fired thermal power plant was to be built covers first degree agricultural lands.The plant will pose a threat to both the water bodies and clean air in the region.

According to Akgül's statement, while the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report said that 120 tons of water would be consumed by the plant per hour, the modelling of Greenpeace estimated that nearly 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted into the atmosphere if the coal-fired thermal power plant was completed as planned.

Reminding the public that the Council of State also annulled the change in the environmental plan that made the project possible a few months ago, Akgül has called on the related authorities to give similar decisions for the provinces such as Maraş, Eskişehir, Ankara, Konya, Muğla and Çanakkale, which are facing similar threats of coal. (SO/SD)