ISTANBUL
Approximately half of Turkey’s open-cast coal mines are suitable for conversion to solar farms, which would boost the country’s solar capacity by 170 percent and produce enough electricity to power some 6.9 million homes, an international report has said.class=”cf”>
The “Solar Potential of Coal Sites in Turkey” report published by Europe Beyond Coal on March 23 comes as countries across Europe look for ways to rapidly scale up renewable energy capacity, also in the context of the invasion of Ukraine and surging fossil fuel prices.
“In a fortuitous arc of history, the mines that have provided the coal, which has so damaged our climate and communities, can play a vital role in decarbonizing our energy systems and tackling the climate crisis,” said Duygu Kutluay, campaigner for “Europe Beyond Coal.”
“Turkey has recently upped its…