Cenal power station
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Cenal power station (Cenal Termik Santrali) is an operating power station of at least 1320-megawatts (MW) in Karabiga, Biga, Çanakkale, Türkiye with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Karabiga Cenal power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Cenal power station | Karabiga, Biga, Çanakkale, Türkiye | 40.4167, 27.31829 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: 40.4167, 27.31829
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2017 | – | False |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2017 | – | False |
| Unit 3 | Pre-permit[2] | coal: unknown[2] | 1050[2] | unknown | 2030 (planned)[3] | 2060 (planned)[3] | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Cenal Elektrik AŞ [100%] | Cengiz Holding AS [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Cenal Elektrik AŞ [100%] | Cengiz Holding AS [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Cenal Elektrik AŞ [100%] | Cengiz Holding AS [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Cenal Elektrik (a joint venture between Cengiz Holding and Alarko Holding) built a two-unit, 1,320-MW coal-fired power plant along the coast in Çanakkale province.[5][6] The project received its generating license in March 2013; initial site preparation work had already begun at that point.[7] The power station would utilize ultra-supercritical technology.[8]
In July 2013, responding to a lawsuit filed by local groups opposed to the project, a local administrative court voided the approval of the project's EIA, arguing that the EIA's assessment of environmental impacts had been insufficient. The ruling halted construction work on the project. Opponents, who had engaged in several protests against the project, had made several complaints, including that Cenal Elektrik had been illegally beginning work on the project prior to approval.[4][9]
The company responded by dividing the project's EIA approval process into four parts, allowing two to move forward while two others were held up. Several local organizations have filed suit against the Cenal for this move; court battles and protests over the project continue.[10][11][12][13]
In November 2014, a Turkish administrative court of Çanakkale once more rejected the four environmental impact assessments as being inappropriate and failed to address the cumulative impacts on the proposed plant. Hurryiet Daily News reported that the court "ruled that the method was contrary to the legislation imposing environmental obligations on companies." [14]
While the decision was a setback for the company, in September a new assessment report submitted by Cenal had been approved by the Environment Ministry.[14]
The project was reported as 13 percent complete in July 2016 and 70 percent complete in July 2017. Unit 1 was commissioned in November 2017, and Unit 2 was commissioned in December 2017.[15]
In November 2018, the Çanakkale Administrative Court ruled that the EIA allowing the plant to operate was invalid because it had failed to properly include meteorological data. The court also ordered the plant to stop operating but the plant was still operating as of mid-December 2018.[16] In January 2019, a new EIA was submitted by the plant's owners.[17]
As of May 2026, Alarko Holding and Cengiz Holding were reportedly restructuring control of their shared assets. Cenal power station would continue to operate with Cengiz Holding, while significant transfers to Alarko Holding were underway on the distribution side.[18][19][20]
Expansion proposal
In June 2026, the Environmental Impact Assessment process was initiated for a proposed capacity expansion at Cenal power station. The expansion would reportedly increase the power station's annual production from 9.9 billion kWh to 17.7 billion kWh. A public participation meeting was planned for June 30.[21] The estimated project cost was 18.7 billion Turkish lira (US$400 million).[22] Construction was expected to take 48 months, and the operational lifespan of the unit was reportedly 30 years.[23]
As of July 2026, the application submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change was reportedly for one new 1,050 MW unit. A coalition of non-governmental organizations raised concerns about the expansion's environmental and public health impacts. The expansion was not expected to create any new jobs. The proposal was also said to be in contradiction to Türkiye's stated clean electricity commitments, especially as the country prepared to host the COP31 climate conference in November.[24]
Financing
In December 2014, Cenal secured a US$765 million loan with a 12-year maturity for the plant, with Denizbank, Halkbank, Finansbank and Ziraat Bank contributing equally to the loan package. Cenal signed a EUR180 million EPC agreement with Alstom regarding the engineering and equipment supply for the power plant in September. An initial US$200 million loan for the US$1.2 billion project had previously been secured in 2013. The project is under construction and expected to enter operation in 2019.[25]
As of July 2026, Cenal Elektrik calculated the investment cost of the proposed expansion project at 18.7 billion liras. They state that financing will be provided by Denizbank, Halk Bank, Finansbank, Ziraat Bank, and AlstomEPC.[26]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 (PDF) https://www.komurder.org/uploads/Haber-Galerisi/2024/euas-ve-komurder-isbirligi/euas_ve_komurder_isbirligi.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://bianet.org/haber/canakkale-coal-power-plant-expanding-despite-zero-coal-target-321084.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.enerjigunlugu.net/cenal-entegre-termik-santraline-1050-mwlik-unite-eklenecek-68543h.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Termik santrale yürütmeyi durdurma çıktı, Karabiga Çevre Platformu: 'Bu daha başlangıç mücadeleye devam', Sendika, Aug. 9, 2013.
- ↑ Cenal Electricity Production, Cengiz Holding website, accessed Apr. 2014.
- ↑ Energy Group: Generation, Alarko Group website, accessed Apr. 2014.
- ↑ Turkey's Alarko receives license for 1.32 GW coal-fired power plant, Platts, Apr. 15, 2013.
- ↑ "New high-efficiency plant to increase power generation in Turkey," Hatch Energy Innovations, June 2013
- ↑ Alarko'nun ÇED raporuna yürütmeyi durdurma kararı, Taraf, Sept. 5, 2013.
- ↑ termik santrale hayır!&action=haber_detay&module=nuce Karabiga'da termik santrale hayır!, Gündem, Feb. 20, 2014.
- ↑ Ali Cengiz oyunu yine tutmadı, Evrensel, Apr. 18, 2014.
- ↑ Karabiga'daki termik santrale bir yürütmeyi durdurma daha, Medyafaresi, Mar. 19, 2014.
- ↑ Karabiga'da termik santrale hayır!, Yeşil Gazete, Feb. 18, 2014.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Istanbul airport contractor gets new setback on coal plant project", Hurryiet Daily News, November 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Cenal Karabiga Termik Santrali," Enerji Atlası, accessed Feb 2018
- ↑ Contradictory explanation from Cenal Thermal Power Plant, Evrensel, Dec. 15, 2018
- ↑ Karabiga elektrik santrali ÇED Olumlu Raporu alındı, Emlak Pencerem, Jan. 10, 2019
- ↑ İki holding enerjide varlıkları yeniden paylaşıyor, Tek Referans, December 19, 2025
- ↑ Alarko ve Cengiz Enerji’den dev varlık takası: Dağıtım Alarko’ya, üretim, evrensel, January 10, 2026
- ↑ Rekabet'ten onay geldi: Üç dağıtım şirketi Alarko Enerji'ye devredilecek, Forbes Türkiye, May 12, 2026
- ↑ Mahkeme iptal etti, şirket ısrarla işlettiği termik santralı büyütmek için adım attı: Üretimi katlayacaklar, Cumhuriyet, June 23, 2026
- ↑ Cenal Elektrik'in Entegre Termik Enerji Santrali Kapasite Artışı Projesi için ÇED Süreci Başlatıldı, Yatırımlar Dergisi, June 15, 2026
- ↑ Cenal Entegre Termik Santrali’ne 1050 MW’lık ünite eklenecek Kaynak: Cenal, Çanakkale’deki Termik Santrali’nin kapasitesini arttıracak, Enerji Günlüğü, June 16, 2026
- ↑ Çanakkale coal power plant expanding despite zero coal target, Bianet, July 1, 2026
- ↑ "Financing completed for Karabiga," AK Investment, Dec 11, 2014
- ↑ "Çanakkale coal power plant expanding despite zero coal target". bianet.org. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
