TURKEY LIKES NEW ENERGY

Turkey is one of those nations in the Middle East without the curse of rich natural gas and oil resources. It has therefore learned to thrive on its human resources. In the last couple of years, Turkey has begun to discover the richness of its New Energy assets, especially wind energy. (See TURKEY BUILDING WIND).

More recently, Turkey has discovered its solar energy assets, an even more abundant New Energy, and is beginning to think about exporting electricity to EU nations.

Hilmi Guler, Turkey’s Minister for Energy and Natural Resources: "Following the energy produced by wind power stations, Turkey discovered solar energy and is ahead of Spain. Establishing solar power plants is highly costly but we try to lower costs in erecting solar energy power plants…Turkey is about to play an important role in supplying electricity to Europe…I believe we would be able to sign an inter-governmental agreement on this issue in the next two months."

Turkey’s long held ambition of building an economy strong enough to be accepted into the European Union is widely known. If it pursues its aggressive plan for developing solar power plants and the transmission needed to send solar energy-generated electricity into the EU grid, energy-covetous European Commission ministers may come calling sooner than anybody expected.

Turkey has sun. (click to enlarge)

Turkey anticipates radical changes in energy sector
Yan Liang, July 2, 2008 (Xinhua)

WHO
Hilmi Guler, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey

WHAT
Guler described a new approach Turkey is planning for its energy policy based on developing domestic New Energy resources to exploit the economic opportunity inherent in them.

Turkey has wind. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- 2006: Turkey had 19 megawatts of wind capacity.
- 2007: Turkey had 10 wind farms generating 140 megawatts.
- July 2008: 3 more wind farms begin operation in Turkey
- In the next 2 months (by September 2008): An intergovernmental agreement will increase Turkey’s role in supplying electricity to Europe.

WHERE
- Guler described Turkey’s new energy policy at the 5th Turkey Energy Forum in Istanbul.
- He highlighted the fact that the New Energy industries allow for participation from even small and medium sized businesses rather than being restricted to huge energy companies.

Turkey is part of a transmission plan that will solve Europe's electricity problems with New Energy. (click to enlarge)

WHY
- Caught in the crossfire of international politics, Turkey suffered debilitating cutoffs of its natural gas supply from Iran in 2005 and 2006. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, it began building wind.
- Turkey’s long term goal is develop energy self sufficiency and a turbine manufacturing capacity it estimates to be worth as much as $15 billion.
- Turkey is beginning to lay plans for solar energy power plants and transmission to deliver its excess New Energy-generated electricity to European nations.

QUOTES
- Hilmi Guler, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey: "[T]here is a need for radical changes in the energy sector…our goal is an energy sector based on innovation…We are following an energy policy based on local sources and renewable energy…"