Hard coal output in Turkey decreases over 10 percent

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Hard coal production in Zonguldak has plummeted to lowest level of 73 years due to a drop in worker numbers. DAILY NEWS photo

Hard coal production in Zonguldak Coal Basin on the northwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey decreased more than 10 percent in 2013, according to the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK).

The TTK’s production at the basin fell to lowest of 73 years at 1.357 million tons of hard coal.

“The biggest reason behind the fall is the worker shortage,“ Mine Workers Union (GMİS) Chairman Eyüp Alabaş has said, noting many workers retired last year causing drop in labor force.

Turkey’s most important reserves of metallurgical coals are found in the area, and mining has been conducted in the region for the past 160 years.

Most of the coal production is lignite in Turkey, where coal-fired power plants remain an important energy source, while hard coal’s share is only 3.9 percent. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy use in Turkey is expected to double over the next decade, with electricity demand growth expected to increase at an ever-faster pace.