Soma power station

This article is about the large power station opened in 1981. For the small power station opened in 1957 formerly called Soma, see Soma A power station.

Soma power station (formerly Soma B power station) is a 990 MW coal-fired power station in Soma, Manisa in western Turkey.^[1] In 2020 of the 6 units 2 were shut down.^[2] Steam from the plant is used for residential heating in the winter.^[2] It is on the Global Coal Exit List compiled by the NGO Urgewald.^[3]

Soma power station
Country	Turkey
Coordinates	39°11′42″N 27°38′07″E
Status	Operational
Commission date	1981
Owners	Konya Seker Anadolu Birlik Holding
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Lignite
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	660 MW 990 MW
Annual net output	3,714 GWh (2022) 3,866 GWh (2020) 4,177 GWh (2021) 5,059 GWh (2019)

Illness and deaths due to air pollution

According to Greenpeace Soma is the deadliest power station in Turkey, and deadlier than any power station in Europe, being responsible for 13 thousand lost years of life and 282 thousand lost working days in 2010.^[4] Although the company is contracted to install pollution control,^[1] such as desulpherization^[5] it may not be financially viable to do so.^[6]

Subsidies

In 2018 the plant received 110 million lira capacity payments, and 148 million in 2019 both the largest in Turkey.^[7][8] In 2025 the plant was reported to be in financial difficulty.^[9]

Coal

According to Global Energy Monitor the power station burns lignite from the nearby Soma and Deniş coal mines. However analyst Haluk Direskeneli says that the plant does not have a dedicated mine but relies on low-quality dusty lignite from state-run Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ) which industry does not want to buy.^[10]