Investments in energy peak

Private sector investments in Turkey’s energy sector reached 3,200 megawatts by the end of October this year, according to Hasan Köktaş, chairman of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, or EMRA.

Investors in Turkey have recently begun to show great interest in the energy sector, adding that Turkey has become a prime site for energy production. “The private sector broke a record last year by investing 2,800 megawatts in the Turkish energy sector. However, that record has been passed this year, while in the first 10 months of the year investments made by the private sector have increased to 3,200 megawatts.”

"We beat our own record," Köktaş said. “The private sector has installed additional power nearly one and half times more than the power of the Atatürk Dam, on the Euphrates River, in southeastern Anatolian Turkey,” Köktaş said. The total power of the Atatürk Dam is 2,400 megawatts.

Renewable energy resources such as hydroelectric power plants, wind farms and geothermal power constitute 40 percent of the total investments, he said.

Noting that they had licensed the private sector to install up 42,000 megawatts all over Turkey, Köktaş said that during the last two years nearly 6,000 megawatts had been added to the Turkey’s installed power, which amounts to investments worth 15 billion Turkish Liras.

Investments in İzmir

Many large energy investments are made in İzmir, Köktaş said. The Aegean region is probably Turkey’s best area to harness the energy of wind, he said. It is also the site of a new $5 billion refinery investment from Petkim, the nation’s leading petrochemical company, he said.

“We saw wind plant investments from Dost Enerji, Bilgin Enerji and Turkey’s only liquefied natural gas terminal Ege Gaz. İzmir Doğalgaz, a natural gas distribution company, invested nearly $110 million.”

Dost Enerji, a renewable energy company, aims to invest 210 million euros in wind energy. The company has a 42.5-megawatt wind farm in the İzmir district of Bergama district and a 15-megawatt facility in Urla.

“The capacity of our investment in Bergama will be increased to 57.5 megawatts. We are aiming to achieve production of 250 megawatts in the short term,” said Muzaffer Akpınar, chairman of Dost Enerji. “We also plan to construct a 400-megawatt natural gas cycle plant.”

“We want to diversify our energy portfolio,” said Vehbi Bilgin, head of the Bilgin Energy, a group active in hydro- and wind power. “We will invest nearly 250 million euros to build a 425-megawatt natural gas cycle plant in the Marmara region.”

Bilgin Eenrji has already implemented a 250-megawatt hydroelectric power plant investment strategy. “We will also invest in wind farms in the İzmir district of Çeşme,” Bilgin said.

Petkim has started $5 billion refinery investment, according to Kenan Yavuz, director general of the company. “The investment will be completed in four years. This refinery will produce Petkim’s whole raw material requirement.”

Noting that wind efficiency in the district of Aliağa is high, Yavuz said, “We have applied for a 25-megawatt investment license. Just near our dam in Petkim, in Aliağa, we will add our port, refinery and wind farms. We will produce our own water, energy and raw material.”