Target
Harnessing
new and renewable energy resources is one of the general principles
of Turkish energy policy. In the scope of the “Turkish Electricity
Market Law”, electricity production from renewable energy resources
is encouraged.
In the “Electricity Market Licensing Regulation”, which
was published based on the Electricity Market Law, generation facilities
based on wind, solar, geothermal, wave, tide, biomass, biogas, hydrogen
energy, river and canal type hydroelectric generation facilities without
reservoirs, and hydroelectric generation facilities with reservoirs
with installed capacity of 20 MW or below, are identified as “generation
facilities based on renewable resources”. According to the 8th
Five Year Development Programme”, the 2005 target for electricity
production from renewable energy resources is as follows: 643 MW installed
capacity from wind energy; 40 MW installed capcity from geothermal
energy; and 10 MW installed capacity from biogas-waste. It is a main
target of the government that wind power should account for 2 per
cent of total installed capacity.
Financial
incentives
Financial incentives for renewable energy development
are specified in the “Electricity Market Licensing Regulation” as
follows:
- Legal entities applying for licences for construction of facilities
based on renewable energy resources shall pay only one per cent
of the total licensing fee.
- Generation facilities based on renewable energy resources shall
not pay annual licence fees for the first eight years following
the facility completion date as inserted in the respective licences.
- Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation and/or distribution
licensees shall assign priority to system connection of generation
facilities based on renewable energy resources.
Other
For the time being, establishment of a legal framework, which will
cover support mechanisms for each type of renewable energy resource,
is under consideration by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Environmental
impacts of electricity generation
Environmental
issues of electric power generation have been taken into account
for the protection of environment and human health in accordance
with environmental legislation, balancing the requirements of electricity
production and environmental protection. Within this framework,
for new power projects, all required environmental measures have
been applied during the planning phase. Some rehabilitation studies
have also been carried out for old, existing power stations. In
recent years, in addition to environmental measures, efficient,
clean and advanced technologies have also been considered.
Flue
gas emissions
In
Turkey, utilization of fossil fuels plays an important role in electricity
production, and low rank lignite is the dominant fuel for thermal
power generation. Since domestic lignite has high sulphur content
and low heating value, environmental measures for lignite-fired
power stations have great importance for the prevention of air pollution.
In lignite-fired power plants, SO2 emissions exceed the limit value
specified in the “Regulation on Protection of Air Quality”,
and construction of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) Plants is required.
Within this framework, new lignite-fired power plants, planned after
the promulgation of subject regulation, installation of FGD plants
has been considered during the planning phase and contracted together
with the power plant. Retrofit FGD plants have been constructed
at existing power plants within a priority order. Some existing
power stations are already retrofitted with FGD plants.
Due to the high ash content of domestic lignite, the control of
particulate emissions is also very important. Concerning the particulate
emissions, almost all coal-fired power plants are equipped with
electrostatic precipitators operating at high efficiencies. For
recently constructed or planned power plants, efficiencies are reaching
values above 99.9 per cent. In some old power stations, efficiencies
of electrostatic precipitators are not satisfactory. Rehabilitation
studies are carried out for these power plants to improve efficiencies
of electrostatic precipitators.
In lignite-fired thermal power plants, tangential firing systems
are used. Due to the low ash fusion temperature of lignite, temperatures
in combustion chambers of boilers are low. As a result, NOx emission
values are lower than the limits specified in the related regulation.
Consequently, the construction of de-NOx systems or other measures
are not required for NOx emissions.
For natural gas combined cycle plants, due to high combustion temperatures,
control of NOx emissions is necessary by the application of special
advanced burning systems.
In recent years, in addition to environmental measures, efficient,
clean and advanced technologies have also been considered for power
generation. Can Power Plant (2 x 160 MW), which is based on circulating
fluidized bed technology, will be the first application of advanced
technologies in Turkey. Low rank lignite with high sulphur content
from the Can region will be utilized in the plant, which is under
construction.
Greenhouse
gases
Turkey was classified as a developed country in the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and was hence included
in Annex I and Annex II to the Convention together with other developed
countries. Due to national economic circumstances, the development
level of the country, and in accordance with the “Common but
differentiated responsibilities” principle of the Convention,
Turkey has not signed the UNFCCC.
Turkey has proposed to be deleted from Annex I and Annex II to the
Convention. However, during the 6th Conference of the Parties to
the Convention, held in the Hague, the Netherlands, Turkey made
an alternative proposal to remain in Annex I, to be deleted from
Annex II, and to enjoy a certain degree of flexibility within the
“common but differentiated responsibilities”, owing
to the fact that Turkey is still in the process of industrialization.
Definitive action was taken at the 7th Conference of the Parties
to the Convention, held in Marrakech, Morocco, where it was decided
to delete Turkey from Annex II, recognizing the special circumstances
of Turkey as an Annex I country. Within this framework, Turkey is
soon to ratify the Convention.
For reduction of CO2 emissions, electricity generation policies
are important because of electricity generation’s considerable
share of the total emissions. Even though Turkey has not signed
on to UNFCCC and the related Kyoto Protocol, efforts have been made
to control CO2 emissions within the framework of economic and social
conditions of the country. Within the framework of energy policies,
utilization of hydraulic potential, increased use of natural gas,
and enhancement of renewable energy sources, particularly wind energy,
will contribute to controlling CO2 emissions. In recent years, the
application of advanced and clean coal technologies have also been
considered in the electricity sector.
Within the framework of the Project on “Energy-Environment
in Turkey”, analyses of alternative scenarios for the reduction
of GHG emissions from the energy sector were initiated in coordination
with the World Bank in 2000. As a starting point, a “base
case” scenario for current energy demand and supply projections
and technology trends has been developed and studied, and CO2 emissions
were estimated. The “base case” scenario was used as
reference point for alternative scenarios.
The studies are almost completed, and a draft final report covering
the analyses of alternative scenarios has been prepared.
Waste
water
Waste
water (technological and domestic) from thermal power plants is
treated before discharge to the receiving media. Waste water systems
are designed to meet values and requirements indicated in the “Regulation
on Water Pollution Control.”
Solid
wastes
Ash
and slag disposed from coal-fired power plants, and gypsum disposed
from FGD plants make up the solid waste from power generation, and
are considered under the “Regulation of Dangerous Waste”
issued in 1995 by the Ministry of Environment.
In general, ash and slag are disposed by conveyor belts after being
damped and kept under a film in the ash storage area or disposed
with a hydraulic system to an ash dam. Gypsum from FGD plants is
also disposed at the ash storage area of the power station. According
to rehabilitation studies carried out for old power plants, some
of these do not have satisfactory ash disposal systems.
