Çayırhan power station

Çayırhan power station is a 620 MW operational coal fired power station in Turkey in Ankara Province. In 2019 land was expropriated for another lignite mine, to feed the a proposed extension, which was opposed as uneconomic and eventually had its licence revoked.

History
In 2017 the government privatized the Çayırhan-B lignite coalfield on condition a coal-fired power plant is built, in the hope that it would be the first of a wave of similar deals for various lignite coalfields around the country.

Ownership
The project was a joint venture between Kolin, Kalyon and Çelikler. But in 2020 the licence expired and as of 2024 it belongs to EÜAŞ with a different licence number.

Finance
An extension was proposed at an estimated cost of $1.1-billion but was not done.

Subsidies
The government is giving a 15-year purchase guarantee.

Economics
The winning consortium bid $60.4 per megawatt, but according to opponents of the extension expanding Turkey's solar power would save taxpayers money in the long term.

Employment
The company said it would employ 500 people in the plant and 1,500 for coal mining.

Coal supply
As Turkish lignite is heavy compared to its energy content coal must be sourced locally. According to one source Çayırhan is a longwall mine (therefore underground), but Global Energy Monitor says it is opencast. Coalfields in Ankara province include Beypazarı-Çayırhan, Gölbaşı-Karagedik, Gölbaşı-Bahçeköy, Ayaş-Kayıbucak and Şereflikoçhisar.

Environmental Impact
Despite the environmental impact assessment having been approved opponents of the extension claim the environment will be damaged.

Dust
the plant is operating with inadequate dust filters and Turkey has no legal limit on ambient fine particules (PM2.5). Opponents claim that Nallıhan bird sanctuary, 6 km away, could be damaged.

Sulfur Dioxide
the plant is operating with inadequate sulfur treatment, and the area is a sulfur dioxide air pollution hotspot

Nitrogen oxides
the plant is operating without sufficient NOx filtering.

Greenhouse gases
After extension the power station would contribute an estimated 4 megatonnes (Mt) a year to Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions. As Turkey has no carbon emission trading it would not be economically viable to capture and store the gas.

Opposition
The Chamber of Mechanical Engineers has questioned why the existing plant was granted a 2020 operating license without meeting air pollution standards. Opponents include Ankara 350.org and singer Tarkan.

In 2022 the NGO Climate Change, Policy, and Research Association alleged that the power station did not comply with flue gas regulations, was burning coal from a mine which did not have a permit, and risked collapsing.