Turkey Getting on Offshore Wind Radar

Offshore wind market that has yet to emerge in Turkey is being eyed by companies already involved in the industry in Europe, as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), according to Turkish media.

The country got on the offshore wind map following the first offshore wind meeting held by the Antalya International University (AIU) in December 2015.

Representatives from Turkey’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Turkish Standards Institute, the United Kingdom Trade and Investment Department, the Embassy of the United Kingdom, faculty members from the Middle East Technical University (METU) and Istanbul Technical University (ITU), and company managers participated in the meeting themed “Starting in 2016”, held in the Senate Room of AIU’s Rectorate Building in Antalya.

The representatives said that Turkey held the potential for 40 gigawatts of wind energy that is currently untapped, and that the first stage will take two years for a project to become operational. As the result of a separate research project on the potential for the Turkish coastline, organizations are expected to bid for a project to generate 800 megawatts of offshore wind farm energy.

Kamran Khalid Ghouri, Technical Coordinator of the Offshore Wind Farms Standards of Turkey, said that the project would begin in 2016 and be completed in 2025.

“After this, the entire Antalya region will be able to supply its own energy needs. Furthermore, it will create jobs for more than 6 thousand people in the industrial sector. This will thus affect Turkey’s GDP. Universities such as AIU, METU, and ITU will be actively engaged in the goal of helping to solve important problems such as seismic loads and floating floors, so this project of producing solar energy will trigger other projects. As regards to energy produced by wind action, the southern regions will be able to produce all of their own energy needs,” Ghouri explained.

Developing offshore wind in Turkey will cost EUR 2 billion and will require the construction of 8 to 9 thousand wind turbines, according to the AIU.

However, an issue that arises for the investors now eyeing Turkish market is the offshore wind tariff, which has not yet been agreed, according to Daily Sabah.