Utility scale project development, rapidly expanding commercial markets and a huge influx of investment are ensuring that momentum continues to build behind the Turkish Solar PV Market.
Whilst the vast potential of the Turkish PV market has long been recognised, many have been left frustrated by low FiTs, long winded licensing processes and the relatively small 600MW government tender that restrict market growth.
However the sun is really beginning to shine on Europe’s greatest untapped solar power resource.
Whilst barriers to development do remain, the government is expected to announce another round of solar licenses in 2015. Ates Ugurel of Ires Enerji expressed that this may allow for up to 2.5GW of development- which would bring Turkey’s installed PV capacity to 3.1GW by 2016.
Recognising this vast potential for growth, international solar giants Canadian Solar and IBC Solar are some of the first to bring large scale solar PV projects to the region, alongside the EPDK and local partners Gerlicher Merk Solar.
There are also ongoing visits being made by investment consortiums from the US, China, Germany and the UK, who are all keen to secure a foothold as the industry expands. International development banks are also expected to back large scale solar development, with the EBRD recently allocating €50million to the Turkish renewable energy sector. This enthusiasm is mirrored nationally, with government investment of €10.4million rumoured to be spent on advancing Turkey’s PV manufacturing base.
As well as the growing opportunities for large scale development, another lucrative market is also emerging. With electricity prices already higher than the feed in tariff, the generation of solar power for self consumption is causing a rapid increase in unlicensed project development. Installations under 500KW do not require a government permit, meaning that commercial scale roof tops owned by hotels, malls, leisure centres and the like provide excellent potential for small and medium scale project development.
The rapidly growing momentum behind both large and medium scale Turkish PV market is reflected in this year’s Solar Turkey speaker line up, which boasts some of the most senior level speakers from key national and international industry players.
Prominent government heads will discuss the best ways to stimulate future growth:
· Kemal Yildir, Chief Executive and General Manager, TEIAS
· Yusuf Yazar, General Manager, General Directorate of Renewable Energy
· Abdullah Tancan, Member of the Board, EPDK
International and local investors lay out options available for large scale PV finance:
· Alain Terraillon, Head of Ankara office, European Investment Bank
· Andi Aranitasi, Senior Banker, Power & Energy Utilities, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
· Zamier Ahmed, Board Member and Executive Director, Brightwell Holding
· Kor Ozay, Senior Manager, Business Development, Enel Green Power
· Louis Bedoucha, Senior Business Development Officer, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, The World Bank Group
· Stefan Mueller, Member of the Board and Chief Operations Officer, Enerparc
· Berat Pehlivanoglu, Managing Director, PFS Finance
And project developers discuss their experience of the market and the hottest development opportunities:
· Baha Kuban, Managing Partner, Cleanglobe
· Mehmet Emre Okuyan, Strategic Planning and Business Development Director, Borusan
· Berk Eyilik, Board Member, Akis EnerjiAtes Ugurel, Managing Partner, iRES Enerji
· Stefanos Melissopoulos, President, Conergy Greece
· Oguz Capan, Chief Technology Officer, Hittite Solar
· Omer Moltay, Owner, Mimta Solar
· Erinç Kısa, Project Development Manager, Polat Energy
· Nevres Dabil, Business Development Manager, New Markets, juwi Solar
· Hanifi Sireci, Chief Executive Officer, Solarturk
· Halil Demirdag, Chief Executive Officer, Smart Solar
With an opening address from Süreyya Yücel Özden, President, World Energy Council Turkish National Committee, a workshop on unlicensed applications by the newly formed Li-Der and more sponsors than any year to date, Solar Turkey 2012 promises to be the must attend event for those who wish to place their organisation at the forefront of Europe’s largest sleeping PV giant.