Ibrahim Erden, President of the Turkish Wind Energy Association, said, “(to reach the 2053 targets) there will be wind turbines all over the country.”
Ibrahim Erden, President of the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TUREB), stated that in order for Turkiye to reach its “net zero emissions” target in the fight against climate change, it needs to invest $90 billion in wind power plants by 2053 and include 85,000 megawatts of wind energy power into the system.
Erden told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Turkiye’s wind energy potential is at the level of 150 thousand megawatts in total, including land and sea, when current technologies are taken into account.
Stating that many studies have been carried out on Turkiye’s wind energy potential, Erden stated that investments in wind, solar and other clean energy resources should be increased in order to use this potential, to combat climate change and to reach a zero carbon market.
Pointing out that 85,000 to 100 thousand megawatts of wind energy power, which should be operational until 2053, is needed to achieve net zero emission targets and strengthen energy security in the country, Erden said:
“We can say that the target is at this level. In wind, we need to approach 104 thousand megawatts, which is Turkiye’s total electricity installed capacity today. In order to add 85,000 megawatts of new wind installed power to the system, we calculate that this may be an investment of $90 billion in return for today’s investment. This amount is the amount that should be invested until 2053. In other words, we need a new investment of $90 billion in 30 years.”
“We will see wind farms all over Turkiye”
Erden stated that wind investments will be made in many regions of Turkiye in order to reach the 2053 targets, and that turbines with low capacity will be replaced with high-capacity ones in a short time.
Expressing that Turkiye’s areas with high onshore wind potential will be evaluated more, Erden said:
“Western Anatolia is a region where many of our wind power plants have been built for the last 15 years. These power plants are located on a line such as Thrace, Canakkale, Manisa, Izmir. When the 25-year life of the turbines expires, our 1-1.5 megawatt turbines will be replaced by 7.8 to 10 megawatt wind farms. The country’s Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Osmaniye regions, as well as Taseli Plateau are a wind-efficient region. As TUREB, we have created a project of 10-11 thousand megawatts for this place. In addition, we have areas with great potential in Sivas, Kayseri and regions. We have various wind fields in East Anatolia and North East Anatolia Region. In time, we will see our wind power plants all over Turkiye. You may remember that we exceeded the 10 thousand megawatt limit with the wind power plants in Van. So, there will be wind turbines all over the country, but it will be a priority in the regions I mentioned.”
“Each new turbine provides €10 million in economic value”
Giles Dickson, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association (WindEurope), reminded that sources such as wind and sun do not cause carbon emissions.
Stating that wind energy contributes to the country’s economy with its cheapness compared to electricity generation from other sources, Dickson said:
“While it differs from time to time geographically compared to other renewable alternatives, wind is the cheapest electricity generation source. In some countries, electricity generation from wind is cheaper than solar energy. It is also an important source for ensuring energy security. You do not need to buy this energy source from Russia or any other country. When we build each new turbine and put it into power generation, it causes €10 million in economic activity. This leads to an increase in job opportunities. It contributes to employment not only in the construction phase, but also in maintenance, repair and operation activities.”
Praise for Turkiye’s wind industry
Dickson said that Turkiye’s progress in wind energy is impressive.
Stating that he always visits Turkiye at least once a year, Dickson said, “We meet with sector and ministry representatives and listen to their opinions and suggestions regarding the operation of the wind industry. Just like in other countries, there are criticisms about the length of the process in licensing permit processes. The digitization of permit processes will accelerate and shorten this. In addition, we believe that efforts will continue to achieve the objectives within the scope of carbon emission reduction targets. We believe that Turkiye will add 2 gigawatts of capacity to the system every year.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz