Konya Karapınar coal mine

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The Konya Karapınar coal mine is a proposed lignite mine on the Konya Karapınar coalfield in Konya province, Turkey. It would supply Konya Karapınar power station. As of 2018, studies continue on the coalfield's investment potential.

Location

The map below shows the approximate location of the Konya-Karapinar coalfield, 26 km south of Karapinar, Konya province, Turkey.

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Background on Project

In January 2013, at the conclusion of a four-year study, Turkey's General Directorate of Mineral Research & Exploration (Maden Tetkik ve Arama Genel Müdürlüğü, or MTA) announced its estimate that a lignite field in Konya province's Karapınar district contained 1.8 billion tons of lignite coal. The Ministry of Energy & Natural Resources announced plans to recruit investors to build a 5,000 MW coal-fired power plant — which would be tied with several others as the world's fourth-biggest coal plant.

In September 2013, an investment consortium consisting of Hungary's Hornonitrianske bane Prievidza (HBP), Slovakia's Istroenergo Group, and Thailand's Singa Energy Solutions signed a preliminary agreement with Turkey's state-owned Electricity Generation Company (EÜAŞ) to build a $7-$8 billion, 5,000-MW coal-fired power plant in Karapınar district. The investment consortium began investigating further technical and financial aspects of the project for feasibility.

In December 2013, a panel of experts unveiled a report showing the potential environmental harms that would be caused by the massive plant, including potential total depletion of groundwater in the area.

In March 2014, after country-to-country-level conversations over the project between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, EÜAŞ entered into final investment talks with the consortium of firms, now also including Saudi state energy firm ACWA Power, among others. The estimated cost has now been upped to $10 billion.

In November 2014 it was reported Turkey would solicit bids for construction of the power station.

In January 2018 Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said that investment studies have been speeded up and a local ruling party MP said that the plant would be twice the size of "Elbistan power plant".

In October 2018 the project was included in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "Investment Program Preparations for 2019-2021 Period."

Mine Details

• Sponsors:
• Location: Karapınar district, Konya province, Turkey
• Coordinates: 37.614187, 33.591193 (approximate)
• Status: Announced
• Detailed status:
• Capacity:
• Coal Type: lignite
• Power Plant: Konya Karapınar power station, Turkey
• Source of financing: