Free energy-saving lights bulbs, lignite coal production

Today's Zaman
21.04.2008
Business
Today's Zaman with wires

Gov't to distribute free energy-saving bulbs

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is planning to distribute free energy-saving light bulbs to increase awareness of the importance of energy efficiency, according to Energy Minister Hilmi Güler.

Speaking with Today's Zaman, Güler said the ministry will distribute at least one bulb to each household, with the costs met by corporate sponsorship. Energy Ministry officials have already started negotiations with potential sponsors.

The minister also spoke yesterday at a panel session on Turkey's place in the world mould-processing business, organized as a part of Mould Eurasia 2008 -- the İstanbul mould, mould technologies, side industry and sheet metal fair.

Güler said his ministry is strongly committed to assessing the country's gold resources and seeing it become a major player in the world gold market, noting that Turkey could be the world's second-largest gold producer if it takes the right steps.

"If you are paying enough attention, you will see that nobody is saying a word against the extraction of minerals and other metals, but when it comes to gold, many people send out a flood of criticism," the minister told the audience, recalling the demonstrations to halt gold mining in Turkey.

He quoted the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the republic's founder, from an inauguration speech for the opening of the state's Mining Exploration Institute (MTA): "I have founded the MTA to identify the treasures beneath the earth. They will work hard and come out with great surprises." The minister recalled that Atatürk established the MTA in 1935, whereas the infrastructure for gold and oil exploration activities took place two years earlier. "We will go after Turkey's rich gold reserves if we are to follow our founder's blessed deeds," he emphasized, stating his ministry's commitment to finding all minerals and metals in the country.

In addition to gold, they will extract coal, nickel and lead, the minister noted, adding that making İstanbul a regional center for jewelry is also among his ministry's priorities. Güler also noted their intention to assess Turkey's uranium and thorium reserves, which, he said, can be processed into fuels for nuclear energy power plants.

Lignite reserves up by 28 percent

With the Mining Exploration Institute's (MTA) discovery of 2.3 billion tons of new lignite coal reserves, Turkey's current reserves of lignite have increased by 28 percent, growing from 8.3 billion tons to 10.6 billion tons.

Based on the current prices of lignite coal -- between $30 and $100 per ton, depending on the quality -- the newly discovered fields are worth $70 billion and are enough to meet Turkey's lignite coal demand of 60 million tons annually for 38 years.

According to information from the MTA General Directorate, 730 million tons of lignite coal was discovered in the Turkish Electricity Production Company (TEAŞ) fields and 420 tons in the MTA fields in Elbistan. The amount of discovered in MTA fields in Thrace and Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ) fields in Soma and Konya's Karapınar region was 510 million tons, 110 million tons and 530 million tons, respectively.

Out of Turkey's total reserves of lignite coal, 80 percent are in the low-calorie category, making them less efficient fuel. The new reserves, which also fall in this category, are still suitable for electricity generation at thermal power plants, according to the MTA.

Mehmet Üzer, the head of the MTA, told the Anatolia news agency yesterday that the institute has been exploring for geothermal sources and coal for the last three years. "Turkey's lignite coal reserves increased for the first time in the last 20 years. We keep working on this and plan to explore fields until 2010. There are locations which we believe to have significant reserves," he added.