Energy availability analysis of Trakya Region coals with new generation technologies
Presentation, pp.441-454, 2023
- Publication Type: Other Publication / Presentation
- Publication Date: 2023
- Page Numbers: pp.441-454
- Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
- Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In recent years, global and regional crises that threaten energy supply security have forced countries to turn to
domestic coal resources, almost forgetting and disregarding the Paris climate agreement and its related
obligations. Coal continues to lead the world in energy resources with a share of 35.72% in 2022.
Coal reserves in the Thrace Region part of Türkiye (Trakya), on the other hand, draw attention as a domestic
coal-based energy source for Thrace in the short term with the increasing geopolitical and geostrategic
importance of the region due to its identity as a central energy transit corridor (energy hub). The coal reserve
of the region, which has reached 3.27 billion tons with the increases in the last two decades, has been analysed
and evaluated numerically within the scope of this research with a integrated approach in the process from coal
production to clean energy generation.
Based on numerical analyses and evaluations; it is understood that Edirne-Uzunköprü- Harmanlı coals, which
are a solid and domestic alternative to imported natural gas, which reaches approximately 80% in energy, are
an indispensable domestic energy source in energy. The reserves in the region have the potential to be
transformed to energy in the short term in high-efficiency supercritical (SC) or ultra supercritical (USC)
thermal power plants with total power ranging from 400-2000 MW, and in the long term through new
generation underground (UCG) and aboveground gasification (IGCC) technologies. Especially with the
mechanization process in underground coal production in Edirne-Uzunköprü-Harmanlı, the first and
pioneering one in the region in 2019, coal production rates (P>1.5-2 million tons/year) have been reached to
feed thermal power plants equipped with such new generation energy technologies. Therefore, Thrace region
has contributed to the growth of the industrial-production index of the region with the transition to the largescale operation model created in the coal sector and the accompanying labour employment. In addition, it was
concluded that the coal of Edirne-Uzunköprü Harmanlı Region, which is classified as Oligocene aged subbituminous-A and contains high volatile matter, can easily compete with imported bituminous coals in the
domestic and foreign markets with its total sulphur S= 0.24-0.5% and lower heating value LHV= 5150-5726
kcal/kg on dry basis, but for this purpose, the coals of this region must be "registered".