HEAL: Coal pollution in Turkey caused nearly 200,000 premature deaths in 55 years

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The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has released a report on Turkey's dependency on coal power generation since 1965, when the country's oldest active coal-fired power plant became operational.

Between 1965 and 2020, coal power generation caused nearly approximately 200,000 premature deaths, as well as 11 million hospital admissions and other health impacts, with a cost of up to 4.8 trillion lira (350 million USD), according to the report.

Coal-fired plants with a capacity over 50 megawatt are still operative in 16 out of the 81 provinces of the country.

Pollution caused by the plants in Zonguldak, Muğla, Çanakkale cities, İskenderun Bay. The health burden caused by thermal power plants only in Zonguldak, Çanakkale, Muğla and Iskenderun Bay adds up to 40% of Turkey's total. The thermal power plants in Muğla are estimated to cause the highest number of premature deaths in Turkey.

While Turkey's ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement was a move in the right direction, the country now needs tangible steps, including setting an "ambitious" coal phase out date," said HEAL. (TP/VK)