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Turkey cements position as Europe's leading coal-fired power system: Maguire

Turkey has spent eight of the very first 9 months of 2024 as Europe's biggest manufacturer of coalfired electricity, surpassing Germany and Poland as it cranked coal burning for power.

Turkey generated a record 88 terawatt hours (TWh) of electrical power from coal during January through September, according to energy think tank Coal, which was 2% more than during the exact same duration in 2023.

That overall was 28% above the 69 TWh generated in Germany and 36% above the 65 TWh produced in Poland, Europe's next biggest coal-fired power producers.

With power systems across Northern Europe set to make further cuts to coal use in power generation moving forward, Turkey's lead in Europe looks set broaden, and may establish southern Europe as a major center for coal use in the region.

EMISSIONS IMPACT

Turkey's emissions from coal-fired power also scaled new highs up until now in 2024, striking 88.4 million lots of carbon dioxide and 1.5 million heaps more than in the same months last year.

Coal-fired emissions in Germany were 71.5 million tons of CO2, and were 67 million tons in Poland, which in both cases were the most affordable on record for the January to September period.

With coal-fired generation and emissions declining in most other European nations, Turkey's share of the region's. coal-fired use and emissions climbed to a record of just over. 19% so far this year, Ash information shows.

Continued coal burning during the winter season - when need for. heating in Turkey peaks - may push Turkey's share of local. emissions above 20% for the very first time, specifically if power. systems elsewhere continue to curb coal usage during that period.

IMPORT RELIANCE

Around 35% of Turkey's electricity so far this year was. generated from coal, which was the country's largest single. power fuel source.

That share was down from around 37% in 2023, due to higher. output this year from both hydro dams and solar farms which. permitted power firms to lift output from tidy energy sources.

Nevertheless, both hydro and solar output are set to be up to. their yearly lows over the coming winter season in Turkey, which will. force power suppliers to boost coal usage towards year-end to satisfy. system demand.

And Turkey needs to import coal to meet approximately 40% of its. coal-fired needs, due to a persistent shortage in domestic coal. supply compared to domestic coal need.

Over the first nine months of 2024, Turkey's overall coal. imports were 16.7 million metric tons, according to. ship-tracking information from Kpler.

That overall is 5% less than throughout the exact same months in 2023,. but volumes are likely to climb up over the final months of the. year as power companies stock up ahead of peak heating demand.

Russia is Turkey's primary coal provider, accounting for around. 70% of Turkey's coal imports, followed by Colombia, Australia. and the United States.

INCREASING NEED

Turkey's reliance on coal for 35% of its electricity is. greater than the 20% share in Germany and 13% share for Europe. as a whole, but is less than the 56 % coal-share in Poland.

However, Poland's coal share is below near 74% in. 2022, and looks set to continue falling quickly as Poland's. power companies deploy growing volumes of sustainable power throughout the. nation's grids.

In contrast, Turkey's dependence on coal for power looks set. to keep increasing, specifically as the country's overall power need. continues to rise quicker than power firms can raise clean. supplies.

So far in 2024, Turkey's electrical power need has actually climbed by. 5% from the exact same months in 2023, compared to 2.4% growth for. Europe as a whole, 3% development in Poland and 0.4% development in. Germany.

Over the longer term, Turkey's electrical energy demand growth has. outmatched peer nations by an even larger degree.

Turkey's electrical power need has actually grown by 13.3% considering that 2019,. which contrasts dramatically with a 1.7% contraction in electrical power. demand for Europe over the same duration, and an 8.2% contraction. in demand in Germany.

Continued growth in Turkey's export-oriented production. economy looks set to preserve pressure on power companies to keep. developing cheap energy supplies.

Nevertheless, Turkey's economic sector has high levels of foreign. debt that look set to keep business costs in check, and may. suggest that only restricted upgrades to power generation systems may. be seen over the near term.

That suggests that coal's location as Turkey's primary power. source might continue to grow over the near to medium term, and. will likely lead to the nation further widening its coal. use lead over nations elsewhere in Europe.

<< The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a. writer .>

(source: Reuters)