Soma power station
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Soma power station is an operating power station of at least 990-megawatts (MW) in Soma, Manisa, Türkiye. It is also known as Soma B.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Soma power station | Soma, Soma, Manisa, Türkiye | 39.194462, 27.635204 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Phase B Unit 1, Phase B Unit 2, Phase B Unit 3, Phase B Unit 4, Phase B Unit 5, Phase B Unit 6: 39.194462, 27.635204
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase B Unit 1 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1981 | False |
| Phase B Unit 2 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1982 | False |
| Phase B Unit 3 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1985 | False |
| Phase B Unit 4 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1986 | False |
| Phase B Unit 5 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1991 | False |
| Phase B Unit 6 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 165 | subcritical | 1992 | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Phase B Unit 1 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 2 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 3 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 4 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 5 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 6 | Soma Termik Santral Elektrik Uretim AŞ [100%] | Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The six 165-MW coal-fired units of the plant were completed between 1981 and 1992. Lignite for the plant is supplied by Ege Linyitleri İşletmesi. The plant has been owned by Konya Şeker Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. since 2015.[2]
Soma power station reportedly operated significantly below its maximum production levels in 2023.[3]
In May 2024, Soma power station was described as being in a "sale phase", and employees of the power station and the associated mine were concerned about management decisions and employment stability.[4]
As of November 2024, the company was facing bankruptcy, and local officials were concerned about the power station's need for uncompleted maintenance.[5]
In April 2025, the Mayor of Soma stated that the power station planned to shut down the following month.[6] In late April, there was reportedly ongoing uncertainty regarding the fate of the power station. A request was sent for the power station to continue operating through the end of May, when the weather would be warmer, but a response from the plant's management had not been received.[7]
In July 2025, the power station temporarily ceased operations. The plant reopened in November 2025 for the upcoming heating season.[8]
In February 2026, the power station's board of directors released a resolution announcing that the power station would be shut down. Some community members opposed the closure, calling for the government to install proper pollution mitigation equipment and make other necessary investments in order for the plant to continue employment.[9]
As of February 2026, it appeared that the power station was no longer generation electricity. Intermittent generation was reportedly limited to heat only. Konya Şeker sought to sell the plant.[10] Units 1-4 were offline, and Units 5-6 operated to provide hot water only.[11]
In June 2026, the power station reportedly resumed operations following a period offline.[12][13]
Capacity payments and costs
In 2018, the company was paid millions of lira by the government in support of its coal-fired plant via the capacity mechanism.[14]
In May 2025, a Turkish Grand National Assembly letter highlighted that Soma power station received significantly less money in capacity payments than Soma Kolin power station.[15]
As of September 2025, Konya Şeker reportedly owed the Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ) $450 million (18 billion lira) in debt.[16]
In December 2025, Türkiye's Electricity Transmission Corporation released a list of coal- and gas-fired power stations that would qualify for a capacity mechanism in 2026. Soma power station was included on the support list.[17]
In April 2026, a third party was reportedly conducting on-site evaluations to determine the value of Soma power station as part of TKİ's enforcement process.[18]
Impact and opposition
In February 2019, the Right to Clean Air Platform, a coalition of 17 professional organizations and NGOs, successfully campaigned to stop the Turkish Parliament from delaying stronger air pollution requirements for old coal plants from 2019 until 2021.[19] The delay would have allowed Soma to continue to operate without a desulphurization system or modernised dust filters.[20]
In January 2020, two units of the plant were closed under Environmental Law 2872 for failing to install a more effective air filtration system, in addition to five plants that were entirely closed: Afşin-Elbistan A, Kütahya Seyitömer, Tunçbilek Çelikler, Sivas Kangal and Zonguldak Çatalağzı.[21][22] As of June 2021 Unit 2 had resumed operating having installed a new air filtration system.[23] According to CAN Europe Units 1 had resumed operating as of December 2021.[24]
In November 2023, a Manisa Deputy politician stated that 39,000 people had died from cancer associated with pollution from Soma power station.[25] He also alleged that a series of work accidents and fires had occurred at the power station, and the flue duct filters posed a serious risk of causing an explosion.[26]
In February 2024, a malfunction at Soma power station caused a heating problem in Manisa. The power station was reportedly penalized for the incident.[27]
In August 2024, Soma power station workers held a sit-in protest, demanding improved working conditions.[28] A 15% raise was reportedly given only to the power station's non-unionized workers.[29]
In December 2024, Manisa politicians joined together in opposition of air pollution from Soma power station. The mayor of Soma stated: "The thermal power plant wants us to make a choice: You will either be warm or you will be poisoned" (Google translate). While they had fought in the past to prevent the plant from closing, he said that they would no longer support the power station as long as it did not fulfill its environmental obligations.[30]
In February 2025, Soma leaders held a meeting to discuss the role of Soma power station and the public health and environmental impacts of its operation.[31] In April 2025, the Mayor of Soma facilitated another meeting on the same topic. The group reportedly sought a solution prioritizing both sustainability and workers' rights.[32]
In March 2026, Greenpeace Türkiye emphasized that, as Soma power station shut down and laid off employees, the cost of the coal phaseout should not be paid by workers. They highlighted that employment transition is part of the energy transition.[33]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 (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) - ↑ Soma Termik Santrali, company website, retrieved Jan. 2018.
- ↑ Konya Şeker'e Kangal ve Soma'da eksik elektrik üretmenin faturası ağır oldu! 5.3 milyar lira gelirden mahrum kaldı!, Türkiye'nin Tarım Sitesi, February 23, 2024
- ↑ 20 BİN İŞÇİ VE SOMA’NINGELECEĞİ TEHLİKE ALTINDA, Soma Yeni Haber Gazetesi, May 8, 2024
- ↑ CHP'li Bakırlıoğlu'dan 'termik santral' uyarısı: Soma bir bombanın üzerinde oturuyor, Gazete Oksijen, November 8, 2024
- ↑ Soma Belediye Başkanı Okur: Termik Santral Kapanırsa Binlerce İşsizlik Tehlikesi ile Karşı Karşıya Kalacak, SonDakika, April 10, 2025
- ↑ Soma'da termik santral belirsizliği... Soma halkı, yetkililerden açıklama bekliyor, Anka Haber Ajansi, April 28, 2025
- ↑ Soma Termik Santral Yeniden üretime başlıyor, Soma Karaelmas Haber, October 28, 2025
- ↑ Soma Termik Santrali kapanıyor mu? Başkan Okur: Buraya devlet el koymalı, Soma'yı kurtarmalı!, Ses Gazete, February 20, 2026
- ↑ Soma Termik Santrali'nde kriz: Şirket 'kâr etmiyorum' dedi, ücretsiz izne zorlanan işçiler sokağa indi, so: Haber, February 18, 2026
- ↑ Özelleştirilen Soma Termik Santrali'nde üretim durdu! İşçiler 'ücretsiz izne' çıkarıldı, Baba Ocağı, February 20, 2026
- ↑ Soma'da, termik santralde üretimin durması endişesi: “İlçe ekonomisi felç olmuştu", Anka Haber, June 21, 2026
- ↑ SOMA TERMİK SANTRALİ DERHAL KAMULAŞTIRILSIN, Vatan Partisi, June 19, 2026
- ↑ "KAPASİTE MEKANİZMASI OCAK AYI FATURAYA ESAS ÖDEME LİSTESİ", TEIAS website, accessed May 2018.
- ↑ Türkiye Kömür İşletmeleri Kurumunun (TKİ) 2021 ve 2022 yıllarına ait bilanço ve netice hesaplarının görüşmeleri, Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi, May 20, 2025
- ↑ Plansız özelleştirme kamuya zarar yazdı; Soma Termik Santralı’nda borç krizi!, Maden Mühendisleri Odası, September 17, 2025
- ↑ 2026’da 32 kömür ve gaz santraline kapasite desteği verilecek Kaynak: 2026’da 32 kömür ve gaz santrali kapasite desteğinden yararlanacak, Enerji Günlüğü, December 30, 2025
- ↑ Soma'daki termik santral icralık oldu, Nefes Gazetesi, April 7, 2026
- ↑ Step forward for health protection in Turkey: Proposal to extend the pollution exemptions given to privatised coal power plants withdrawn, Health And Environment Alliance, Feb. 15, 2019
- ↑ Turkish Parliament will vote about polluting coal power plants next week, Health And Environment Alliance, Feb. 1, 2019
- ↑ 5 thermal power plants that did not install filters and did not take flue gas treatment measures were completely closed, BBC, Jan. 2, 2020
- ↑ Filtre taktırmayan termik santraller kapatıldı, Deutsche Welle, Feb. 1, 2020
- ↑ Seffaflik Platformu, Exist, accessed July 2021
- ↑ Communication with CAN Europe, January 2022
- ↑ Soma bu kez de termik santral tehdidiyle karşı karşıya!, Antakya Gazetesi, Nov. 19, 2023
- ↑ Soma'da 'ikinci facia' uyarısı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Nov. 18, 2023
- ↑ Soma'da ısıtma sorunu! Termik santrale ceza! Manisa Kulis Haber, February 26, 2024
- ↑ Termik Santral İşçileri Soma'da Oturma Eylemi Yaptı, Akhisar Haber, August 15, 2024
- ↑ Soma'da sendikalı işçiye zam yok, Ulusal, August 16, 2024
- ↑ Soma'da temiz hava mücadelesi: Başkanlar termik santral karşısında birleşti, İz Gazete, December 5, 2024
- ↑ Soma'da Termik Santral Krizi: Ekonomik Çöküş Kapıda mı?, Akhisar Haber, February 13, 2025
- ↑ Manisa Soma’da Termik Santral ve Maden İşletmeleri için kritik toplantı, Yolcu Tv Baber, April 9, 2025
- ↑ Kömürün sonu, işçinin sonu olmamalı: Soma ve Ermenek bize ne söylüyor?, Greenpeace Türkiye, March 2, 2026
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.
