Turkey Afsin-Elbistan Latest Status: Draft Site Report – OpEd
On 9th May 2012 Wednesday, yours truly was in Afsin Elbistan coal mine fields in order to visualize the latest status at site. Here is the preliminary site report
Afsin-A plant is in operation with 1st unit at 120 MWe, and the 2nd unit at 100 MWe output capacity firing fueloil nr.6 and nr.2 with some partial local lignite from time to time.
There are almost 900 employees working in the Afsin-A plant. We wonder if plant can generate sufficient income to pay employee salaries.
Afsin-A Stacks have minimized emission not to invigorate the environmental reactions.
Afsin-B works with 300 MWe 1st unit and 200MWe 2nd unit with full conformity to environmental regulations firing KislaKoy lignite. Collolar coal fields are still closed with no end date due to latest land slide disaster.
Coal handling lines are not in good condition, breaks and stops in coal feed are normal daily occurrence.
South Koreans are working at site for feasibility preparation to upgrade the rehabilitate the Afsin-A plant.
We have been informed that French Alsthom has already delivered a tentative rehab proposal for Afsin-A for ball-park figure of 1b USD. It is advised that President-elect Hollande may initiate business for interested French contractors in future.
There are Chinese companies at site for preliminary investigations for Afsin-A rehab and new C-E plant turn-key contracts. They pronounce ball-park budget figures less than 1b USD for new 4×350 MWe units.
Commentators agree that the site is the example of the last resort of totalitarian state operation, which is to be handed over to privatization in earliest possibility.
This is for your information and records
