Turkey is in the fourth position in geothermal energy capacity at 1710 Megawatt as of 2021, with 63 geothermal power plants operating in the country. Geothermal energy is crucial to help reduce energy imports and reliance on fossil fuels. Keeping this in view, I will look at the Turkish government's ambition and target to promote geothermal energy. Top five geothermal power plants in the country, top operators driving geothermal energy production and the challenges needed to overcome.

Ambition & Strategy

According to the Turkish General Directorate of Renewable Energy Chief, the country intends to install 4,000 Megawatt of geothermal power by 2030. To achieve this, the Turkish government approached the World Bank and approved two loans of $300 million for building geothermal projects in December 2021. The Clean Technology Fund has allocated a substantial $39.8 million grant, accompanied by an additional $350,000 grant from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.

Biggest Geothermal Power Plants

  • Efeler Geothermal Power Plant, located in Aydin, was developed by Güris Holding at a $970 million investment. It was commissioned in 2014 and has a total capacity of 259.9 Megawatt.
  • Umurlu Geothermal Power Plant, located in Aydin, was developed by Karadeniz Holding. It was commissioned in 2015 and has a total capacity of 200 Megawatt.
  • Pamukoren Geothermal Powerplant located in Aydin, was developed by Celikler Holding. It was commissioned in 2013 and has a total capacity of 144.5 Megawatt.
  • Kizildere III Geothermal Powerplant, located in Aydin, was developed by Zorlu Energy Group at a $320 million investment. It was commissioned in 2017 and has a total capacity of 100 Megawatt.
  • Dora Geothermal Power Plant, located in Aydin, was developed by Menderes Geothermal Elektrik Uretim. It was commissioned in 2006 and has a total capacity of 89.45 Megawatt.

Key Players

  • Zorlu Enerji, headquartered in Istanbul, operates four geothermal power plants with an installed power of 305 Megawatt. It provides electricity from all kinds of renewable sources and is not limited to geothermal energy.
  • Güris Holding, headquartered in Ankara, operates seven geothermal power plants with an installed power of 210 Megawatt. It provides services in a variety of industries like construction and energy.
  • Kipas Holding, headquartered in Kahramanmaras, operates ten geothermal power plants with an installed power of 199 Megawatt. It operates in many industries like cement, paper, energy, education and logistics.
  • Celikler Holding, headquartered in Ankara, operates seven geothermal power plants with an installed power of 154 Megawatt. It operates in the energy, mining, construction, contracting and tourism sectors.
  • Türkerler Holding, headquartered in Ankara, operates three geothermal power plants with an installed power of 80 Megawatt. It operates in the construction and energy industry catering to domestic and international markets.

Challenges

  • The first obstacle to scaling geothermal power is reduced financial incentives for investing in this renewable energy source, as the commercial electricity price is higher than the feed-in tariff employed to support geothermal energy’s development.
  • The second issue is that geothermal locations are in remote regions, making it harder to tap the energy source to its full potential. Not only is reaching such areas hard but the infrastructure is needed to connect them to the electric grid.
  • The third problem is that although geothermal power plants release few emissions as compared to fossil fuels, they are not as clean energy sources as solar and wind. Geothermal power is a transitional link between fossil fuels and renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro, but it does not qualify as a fully clean energy alternative.

Conclusion

In this piece, I have talked about Turkey concerning geothermal energy and the Turkish government’s ambition and strategy to promote renewable energy sources. The top five geothermal power plants mentioned and the key players responsible for the rise of geothermal power. Additionally, I have listed three key obstacles hindering Turkey’s ability to harness the renewable energy source. Finally, it remains uncertain what percentage of Turkey’s energy matrix geothermal power will capture in the future.

End Notes

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