Coal supplies a quarter of Turkey's primary energy.[1] The heavily subsidised coal industry generates over a third of the country's electricity[2] and emits a third of Turkey's greenhouse gases.
Coal is a major contributor to air pollution, and damages health across the nation, being burnt even in homes and cities.[3] It is estimated that a phase out of coal power in Turkey by 2030 instead of by the 2050s would save over 100 thousand lives.[4] Flue gas emission limits are in place, but data from mandatory reporting is not made public.
Over 90% of coal mined in Turkey is lignite (brown coal),[1] which is more polluting than other types of coal.[5] Turkey's energy policy encourages mining lignite for coal-fired power stations in order to reduce gas imports;[2] and coal supplies over 40% of domestic energy production.[6] Mining peaked in 2018, at over 100 million tonnes,[7] declined considerably in 2019,[8] but increased again in 2022.[9] Most coal is imported,[10][11] as in contrast to local lignite production, Turkey imports most of its bituminous coal from Russia.[12] Coal consumption probably peaked in 2022.[9] The largest coalfield in Turkey is Elbistan.[13]
Homes and businesses in many Turkish cities burn coal, including the cheap and highly polluting lignite, to produce energy for heating and other purposes.
:0
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).:14
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).