Our Sustainability Approach
and Activities
As ÇATES, we continuously work to reduce the direct and indirect impacts of our operations on the environment while increasing our efforts to ensure the sustainability of energy in our country. While carrying out these activities, we pay attention to use our resources in the most efficient way and to realize our environmental performance in accordance with the values determined by the legislation. We manage our business activities together with environmental risk assessments from the investment decision stage onwards by addressing the environmental, social and economic impacts of our planned actions in a holistic manner. We minimize risks by regularly monitoring these actions.
Our Water Management Activities
Efficient utilization of water resources is an important factor for sustainability. In order to protect natural resources, our Company aims to reduce the use of sea water used as cooling water and the consumption of natural resources. To this end, all necessary permits have been obtained for the treatment and reuse of waste water. With the commissioning of the treatment plant, it is planned to reduce the annual use of 876,000 cubic meters of sea water. This amount corresponds to the annual water consumption of approximately 29,200 people.
The industrial and domestic biological wastewater treatment plants at our power plant operate to meet legal requirements focused on the protection of water resources, accessibility of sanitary drinking and utility water for every individual and sustainability of aquatic life. Compliance obligations are meticulously fulfilled to fully comply with relevant legislation. In addition, water management is handled in accordance with international standards. In 2022, water footprint calculations were completed and verified in accordance with the ISO 14046 Standard and The Water Footprint Assessment Manual.
Our Emission Management Efforts
Continuous Emission Measurement Systems (CEMS) have been installed at ÇATES to monitor emission sources online. Emissions from the power plant's chimneys are instantly reported to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change through the CEMS. In addition, our company complies with greenhouse gas legislation and the annual greenhouse gas emission report prepared since 2016 is verified by accredited organizations. Our company has expanded its work on emissions not only by complying with the legislation, but also by performing ISO 14064 Carbon Footprint measurements in 2022.
| Carbon Footprint ISO 14064 | 2022 |
| Scope 1 | 2.003.649,05 |
| Scope 2 | 2.308,51 |
| Scope 3 | 544.066,81 |
| GHG (TCO) |
CO | CH | NO | HFCs | PFCs | SF | NF | BIOGENIC CO |
| Scope 1 | 1.996.341,95 | 518,71 | 7.318,07 | 7,90 | - | - | - | - |
| Scope 2 | 2.298,92 | 0,53 | 9,06 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Scope 3 | 539.746,38 | 117,56 | 4.202,87 | - | - | - | - | - |
Investments have been made in the treatment systems required to prevent the formation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from combustion in our power plant.
In this context, we meet the limit values set in the legislation for dust parameters with the electro filter in the chimneys, SO2 with the DESOx system, and NOx with the DENOx system. Thanks to our sensitivity in full compliance with the legislation, our successful practices and our responsible production approach, no environmental fines were received during the reporting period. In addition, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing electric vehicles as the new vehicles to be used in the field. By reducing the number of trucks used in coal supply, which is the main operation of the power plant, we carry out coal transportation with lower emission producing belts and wagons.
Our Waste Management Efforts
Our waste management strategy is based on reviewing processes to prevent or minimize waste generation at the source and evaluating recycling options when necessary. Therefore, our company successfully implements the circular economy approach in its business activities.
As ÇATES, we carry out various activities to recycle waste into the economy. In particular, we use the fly ash generated in the process as an alternative raw material for cement factories. Thanks to this example of industrial symbiosis, 381 thousand tons of ash has been recycled into the economy in the last three years, generating approximately TRY 17 million in revenue. As a result of industrial symbiosis, ÇATES recycled approximately 161 thousand tons of waste to the economy in 2022.
We also develop effective practices for office waste. We launched a digital transformation project to organize and digitize corporate archives and ensure document security. This practice aims to contribute to the zero waste target and prevent waste.
Our Social Activities
Occupational Health and Safety
As ÇATES, employee health and safety is one of our highest priorities and we fulfill national legislative obligations and adopt international business and practices. We evaluate the existing and potential risks throughout our operations through R5 (5 minutes for risks), work permit forms and risk assessments.
We provide training to all our employees about emergencies and risks, and after assessments are made about the issues that pose risks, we organize campaigns to raise awareness about risks and turn these risks into opportunities. Thanks to these campaigns that raise awareness, we observe a significant decrease in our occupational accidents and we keep improving in this regard.
With the most recent Ellerim Güvende (My Hands are Safe) Campaign, we experienced a decrease of nearly 85% in accidents related to hand injuries. At the launch, which was held with the participation of senior management, it was emphasized that the occupational safety culture must be disseminated in all fields and accidents must be reduced to zero. Within the scope of the campaign, visual materials were prepared to raise the awareness of all employees and employees were informed about occupational safety through short trainings.
Equal Life
At ÇATES, efforts focused on gender equality are carried out within the scope of the "Equal Life" initiative. In this project, which started in 2020, the volunteer team within the company works for transformation based on gender equality principles in areas such as company culture, organizational structure, trainings, recruitment processes, physical conditions and communication strategies.
