Turkish gov't works on a separate coal law: Minister

The Turkish government is currently working on a coal law that will enhance labor safety, accelerate projects increasing the use of local coal reserves and attract more investment to the sector, said Energy Minister Berat Albayrak. 

"In many countries there is a separate coal law rather than a mining law. We have started to work on a separate coal law and we will put it on the agenda very soon. We have been preparing a coal law that will regulate various parts of coal mining, from methane gas drainage to labor safety and worker health by considering the highest standards in labor safety," he said in a meeting with a group of journalists in Ankara. 

He noted that one of the ministry's main aims was to make it easier to invest in the sector and to develop solutions to the sector's problems. 

"All potential investors want to go through the investment process by facing the least bureaucratic burdens. We want to make the process much easier for them," he said. 

According to the 2016 Budget Presentation of the Energy Ministry, Turkey can save around $7.2 billion from its annual energy bill as long as the country's coal reserves are fully realized. 

Albayrak also said nuclear power is another must for Turkey, which is highly dependent on foreign energy resources to meet its increasing demand. 

'Irrational not to use nuclear energy'

"We want to maximize supply security. There are more than 450 nuclear power plants currently in operation across the world and 100 new power plants are under construction. It is irrational for Turkey to not use nuclear energy," he said. He added that it cannot be ignored that many nuclear power plants are under construction currently, despite the Fukushima disaster, because many...