Afşin-Elbistan power stations — Turkey

Afşin-Elbistan power stations is a 1,440 MW coal power station in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.8 million homes (estimated). It ranks #30 of 502 Turkey power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 6,700,000 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 1.6 million cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 34.3% of Turkey's electricity; the national grid averages 475 gCO₂/kWh (43.3% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-6261.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103674; fuel: Climate TRACE

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,440 MW, Afşin-Elbistan power stations is well above the median coal plant in Turkey (630 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

~6,700,000 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Key facts

Share of Turkey coal capacity

1.0% of 147,855 MW across 184 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Turkey

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean continental climate (Köppen Dsb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 23% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 63/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #20 largest coal power plant of 184 in Turkey by capacity.

Turkey has 184 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 147,855 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Afşin Elbistan Termik Santrali · Coal · 2,795 MW · Kahramanmaras
• Kahramanmaraş Anadolu power station · Coal · 1,200 MW · Kahramanmaraş
• Afşin-Elbistan power stations · Coal · 9,283 MW · Kahramanmaraş
• Diler (Akbayir) Elbistan power station · Coal · 400 MW · Kahramanmaraş
• Tufanbeyli power station · Coal · 450 MW · Adana
• Tufanbeyli power station · Coal · 450 MW · Adana

Location

Coordinates 38.3533, 36.9806 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions