Turkey reportedly increased its coal-fired electricity production by 2% y/y to a record-high level of 88 terawatt hours (TWh) in January-September.

Germany remained the second largest coal-fired power producer in Europe with 69 TWh while Poland stayed in third place with 65 TWh, according to data compiled by energy research firm Ember and reported by Reuters on October 16..

Turkey also upped its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power by 1.5mn tonnes to 88mn tonnes in the same period. Germany followed with 72mn tonnes and Poland with 67mn tonnes.

Turkey’s share in Europe’s combined emissions also reached a record-high of 19% in January-September. Ember expects that the figure will exceed 20% in the winter months when demand for heating peaks.

On a brighter note, also in 9M24, coal’s share in Turkey’s combined electricity production declined to 35% from 37% in 2023 as a whole thanks to higher output from hydro and solar plants.

However, Ember expects that hydro and solar production in the country will decline across the winter months.

Poland, meanwhile, met 56% of its electricity needs from coal in January-September, down from 74% in 2022. The figure stood at 20% in Germany while 13% was the European average.

In the first nine months of this year, Turkey’s electricity consumption was up 5% y/y versus the 2.4% rise recorded for Europe as a whole, 3% in Poland and 0.4% in Germany.

Since 2019, Turkey’s electricity consumption has risen by 13% versus the 2% contraction seen in Europe’s combined demand and the 8% decline posted for Germany.

Turkey imports about 40% of its coal consumption. Its imports declined by 5% y/y to 17mn tonnes in January-September.

Russia provides around 70% share of Turkey’s coal imports. The next biggest suppliers are Colombia, Australia and the US.

It was in 2023 that Turkey overtook Poland to, for the first time, become Europe’s second largest generator of coal-fired power.

Come 2024, the country took Germany's first place. Since then, it has remained in pole position.