Top 10 Thermal Power Plants in Turkey

Dear Colleagues, Dear Energy Professional,

In Energy Commission of Chamber of Mechanical engineers in Ankara Turkey, we meet periodically in our Ankara office in order to review current energy issues, and try to make appropriate programs/ panels/ conferences/ seminars/ technical excursions.

Earlier we had following conversation at the end of our regular weekly meeting agenda. In our country we are just pointing the negative issues. We need to point out the positive developments. We should be more proactive.

These are good developments. There are good power plants/organizations, running smoothly, generating power with high efficiency, at high availability rates. We need to review them and appreciate their performance and advise them to be good examples to continue.

In our draft 2009 technical excursion program, we decided to list them and invite our colleagues as well as students to visit these selected sites, review the operations, and write down reports. It is similar to "Top 10 list" of Hurriyet Daily News Sunday editions, http://eniyion.hurriyet.com.tr/

Here is the list of the best 10 successful thermal power plants of my personal choice as of September 2009, in alphabetical order

Adapazari- Gebze ENKA. 770+1540 Mwe Thermal/ Combined cycle power plant/ Natural gas/ Private ownership. Excellent availability and high efficiency.

AkEnerji- KemalPaşa- Two of GE Energy's Frame 6C gas turbines have begun commercial operation at the 130MW Kemalpasa power plant in Izmir, Turkey. GE has supplied a GE 206C combined-cycle package, which includes two Frame 6C gas turbine-generators and one GE steam turbine-generator. Plant tour is expected during “Energy Conference” which will take place on 21-23 October 2009 in Izmir.

BAYMINA- Temelli, Thermal/ Combined cycle power plant/ Natural gas/ Private ownership, 55km west of Ankara. 770 Mwe, 2 each GE Frame 9F gas turbine, CMI licensed Gulermak fabricated 2 each Forced Circulation HRSG with supplementary firing, 1 each 300 Mwe Alstom steam turbine. High efficiency latest technology turbines, high availability, further water treatment on downstream of Ankara Creek.

Cayirhan Thermal Power Plant- Thermal/ Lignite firing/ Private Ownership. 4x165 Mwe. High efficiency and high availability reported. Excellent utilization of local mine mouth lignite.
EnerjiSA KentSA IZMIT. Thermal/ Combined cycle power plant/ Natural gas/ Private ownership, 120 Mwe, 2 each GE Fr.6B gas turbine, DESA and BWG locally fabricated 2 each Natural circulation unfired HRSGs, plus steam Turbine.

Eregli Iron & Steel Mills. 5th Steam Generation unit, Thermal/ low LHV Blast Furnace gas firing/ Private Ownership. High efficiency and high availability reported. Excellent utilization of BFG and CO gas.

Isken Iskenderun Imported Coal firing thermal power plant. Private ownership, 1210 Mwe, 2 each steam boilers plus steam Turbine. Plant visit is scheduled during our “Solar Conference” in 6-7 November 2009 in Mersin. Permission from their management will be requested soon.

SeyitOmer Thermal Power Plant- 4th Unit, Thermal/ Lignite firing/ Public (EUAS) Ownership, 165 MWe Owned by public company EUAS. High efficiency and high availability reported. Excellent utilization of local mine mouth lignite.

KOC Entek Bursa. Thermal/ Combined cycle power plant/ Natural gas/ Private ownership, 146 Mwe, 2 each GE LM6000 plus 1 each GE LM2500 gas turbines, locally fabricated (2+1) each Natural circulation unfired HRSGs, plus one steam Turbine.

ZORLU Energy- Kayseri OSB, Thermal/ Combined cycle power plant/ Natural gas/ Private ownership, 120 Mwe, 2 each GE LM6000 gas turbine, Allborg licensed Enka/Cimtas, fabricated 2 each Forced circulation HRSG with supplementary firing, plus one steam turbine. Plant tour is expected during our “Renewables Conference” which will take place on 16-17 October 2009 in Kayseri.

Above specs are tentative and they could be revised with your assistance/ comments/ contributions later in time.

We would like to visit our selection of the best 10 thermal power plants of Turkey in year 2009 and further plan to write technical articles to explain these excellent thermal power plants.

We have lignite coal as our biggest fuel source and we all agree that we should use that coal

with maximum efficiency and plant availability,
with minimum harm to the mother nature,
with minimum impact on global warming,
with maximized academic research for local fuel compatibility,
with maximized local engineering, and local fabrication,
with maximized local site installation, and local operation

The world has a lot of coal, but right now carbon capture and sequestration is not commercially viable, and no guarantee it will be in the future.

Solar and wind plants are in development and have long term availability problems.

Natural gas has national security implications and does emit CO2 which creates global warming.

The primary energy sources for new capacity and energy efficiency measures need to be chosen using some kind of quantitative risk-assessment scheme that most likely will result in a diverse energy mix that includes nuclear.

We are really not sure how to get around/adapt to the global climate change problem without some drastic changes, even if nuclear energy is implemented.

Moreover, we need to create a stable regulatory and market framework in order to:

• Create an integrated energy market allowing for cross-border energy trade and linked to the EU market ,
• Enhance the security of supply,
• Attract investment in power generation and networks in order to ensure stable and continuous electricity supply,
• Improve the environmental situation in relation with energy supply.

In order to pursue above objectives, the main instrument of the Energy Community Treaty is to be implemented in key sections of the EU acquis.

Please do join me in a celebration for the Turkish Thermal Power Plant industry as we sing a couple of lines of my favorite Jazz singer Billie Holliday,

"The difficult I'll do right now, The impossible will take a little while"

Your comments are always welcome. Kind regards

Haluk Direskeneli, Ankara based Energy Analyst,
Ankara, 10 September 2009, http://www.turkishweekly.net