HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL IN TURKEY

Turkey has become one of the fastest growing energy markets in the world in parallel to its economic growth registered in the last eight years and is rapidly gaining a competitive structure. The Turkish Electricity Company estimates that Turkey's demand for electricity will increase at an annual rate of six percent between 2009 and 2023. The growing energy demand in Turkey is one of the significant factors along with market liberalization and the country's potential role as an energy terminal in its region. These three factors play an important role in shaping the investment opportunities in Turkey. 

 

Currently, Turkey has 172 hydroelectric power plants in operation with a total installed capacity of 13,700 MW, generating an average of 48,000 GW/year, which is 35% of the economically viable hydroelectric potential. 148 hydroelectric power plants with a total installed capacity of 8,600 MW are under construction to generate approximately 20,000 GW annually, representing 14% of the economically viable potential. 

In the future, 1,418 more hydroelectric power plants will be constructed in order to make use of an additional 22,700 MW of installed capacity. As a result of these, a total of 1,738 hydroelectric power plants with a capacity of 45,000 MW will tame rivers to harness the economically viable hydropower of Turkey. 

Turkey's theoretical hydroelectric potential is 1% of that of the world and 16% of that of Europe. The gross theoretical viable hydroelectric potential in Turkey is 433 billion kWh and the technically viable potential is 216 billion kWh. The economically viable potential is estimated at 140 billion kWh.

(source : TYDTA)