Izmir Emerging as an Export Hub for Renewable Energy Equipment

One of the priority areas under the European Union (EU) Green Deal is the decarbonisation of the energy system. This transformation is being built on renewable energy. At the "Our Future is Our Sun" seminar organised online by the Aegean Exporters Associations together with the Solar Energy Manufacturers and Industry Association; issues such as the role of solar energy in the process of adapting to the European Green Deal, new application areas for solar energy and the financing of these investments were discussed.

Industrial sector ranks first in electricity consumption with 45%

Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of Aegean Exporters Associations, stated that the global energy system, which is 85% based on fossil fuels, is responsible for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. "The industrial sector ranks first in electricity consumption with 45%. Electricity produced from coal, liquid fuels and natural gas accounts for 56% of our total production. Our electricity generation from renewable energy and waste has increased more than tenfold over the past decade. However, despite this, its share in our total electricity generation is at the level of 17%. Our electricity generation is still significantly dependent on fossil fuels. In short, in the fight against climate change, the largest responsibility falls on us industrialists. Important steps such as the Paris Agreement have been taken on this matter."

Sustainable development is EEA's main agenda

Jak Eskinazi stated that the Aegean Exporters Associations declared 2020 as the 'Year of Sustainability' and continued their work in the same manner in 2021. "We send informative bulletins on sustainability to all our members. We were the first Exporters Association in Turkey to be a member of the Global Compact and the 'Zero Waste Project'. We organised a comprehensive training series under the name 'EEA Sustainability Days'. We examine many issues such as the process of adapting to the EU Green Deal and keep our members informed about current developments. The sectors within the Aegean Exporters Associations will increase sustainable and environmentally conscious production through Sustainable Production projects implemented with the support of the Ministry of Trade. We have achieved very successful results from our work that started with the ready-made clothing sector."

Sustainable production and consumption of energy is the future for all of us

Jak Eskinazi shared information that discussions regarding the establishment of the Renewable Energy Equipment Exporters Association continue, saying "We want to increase investments and incentives for renewable energy sources and increase Turkey's share in total electricity production. Inexhaustible, inexpensive, reliable, environmentally friendly, domestic and renewable energies should be our priority. Sustainable production and consumption of energy is the future for all of us."  

Asian market raised its total share to 61%

Ismail Gülle, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, noted that investments in solar power plants worldwide and in Turkey are increasing rapidly year by year, and continued as follows: "Our country has an important solar energy potential with an annual sunshine duration of 2,741 hours and an annual total solar energy value of 1,527 kilowatt-hours. In 2020, when we examined the general situation of the photovoltaic market, China led with a total capacity of 253.4 gigawatts, while the European Union and the United States ranked among the top 3 countries with capacities of 151.3 and 93.2 gigawatts respectively. Among EU countries, Germany ranks first with a capacity of 53.9 gigawatts. These 3 countries did not slow down their investments in 2020 and were the countries that achieved the highest capacity increases on an annual basis. Particularly under the leadership of China, investments in the Asia-Pacific region have reached quite significant levels. In fact, in 2020, the Asian market managed to increase its total share to 61%."  

Turkey's photovoltaic resource utilisation is the same as the EU average

Gülle illustrates that despite the pandemic, a 1 gigawatt installation was completed in our country in 2020, and the contribution of photovoltaic production to electricity demand is becoming increasingly important as we take into account rising energy needs:   "In 2020, Honduras met 13% of its electricity demand, Austria 10.7%, Germany 9.7% and Turkey 5.9% from photovoltaic sources. Our country ranked fourteenth in meeting total energy demand with photovoltaic sources in 2020. While our achievement of approximately the same value as the European Union average stands out as an important success, we should not forget that our potential is much greater compared to the EU."  

New YEKA coming: Turkey is preparing to become a renewable energy hub

Halil DEMİRDAĞ, President of GENSED Solar Energy Manufacturers and Industry Association, stated that products used in solar energy systems in our country such as steel structures, cables, transformer switches, panels and panel cells are now being produced and have taken serious shares in exports. "One of our companies from Izmir is currently sending steel structures to some of the world's largest projects. With our YEKA project, we have changed the image among industrialists in Turkey that green energy is expensive. There are many reasons for this. Technological cost reductions in the world, technological developments and the fact that it has become an industry in our country, and that many costs have now decreased significantly. For broader participation, new YEKA will be conducted with expectations of 50 MW more and 100 MW. As a sector, we will be able to offer very competitive prices for our country."  

We rank 6th in Europe in electricity generation from the sun

Mustafa Yılmaz, President of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, said that Turkey is among the top countries in Europe and the world that have recently established the fastest solar panels and solar power plants.   "Because we are pushing towards 10,000 megawatts. Our installed capacity increased 22 times in the last 5 years. It was 295 megawatts in 2005 and today our licensed and unlicensed solar power plants exceed 7,000 megawatts, we are pushing towards 8,000. At the beginning of 2021, more than half a billion kilowatt-hours of our production was realised through solar sources. We rank 6th in Europe in electricity generation from the sun. The decrease in costs will positively affect our investments and provide advantages in Turkey becoming a panel manufacturing hub. We should launch a nationwide solar mobilisation campaign."  

Land installations in solar energy

Yılmaz said, "We expanded the restrictions on land installations by taking into account people whose roofs are technically unsuitable, first through a law change and then through a regulation change. Now all natural and legal persons will be able to implement land installations for their consumption in the same distribution zone at the same or different measurement points. High-capacity electricity-producing sectors such as cement, mining and hospitality will implement these investments at transmission level."  

Turkey's capacity utilisation rate is in the 80s

Ziya Altunyaldız, Chairman of the TBMM Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology Commission, shared the forecast that the economic cost of global climate change will reach USD 300 billion by 2030 and USD 500 billion annually after 2030, and will face a total loss equivalent to USD 8 trillion by 2050. "We see that after China, India and the United States, we are equivalent to the world's fourth largest economy by 2050. The area producing the most carbon in climate change is the supply used in energy consumption. This meeting that brings producers and energy suppliers together is very important. Turkey is at an important point in production capacity, with capacity utilisation rates in the 80s."  

We will become the supply and production centre of the geography

According to Altunyaldız, in the new period, the attraction of direct foreign capital is directly linked to the reorientation of energy sources towards renewable sources in a manner suitable for green transformation. "If we adapt quickly to green transformation and produce energy with renewable sources, we will attract so much investment and become the supply and production centre of the geography around us, especially Europe. Turkey has reached 50% of installed capacity in total electrical energy in renewable energy. When the Karapınar Solar Energy Power Plant is completed, it will be the world's largest solar energy power plant." Following the opening remarks, in the first session moderated by GENSED Legislation Commission Chairman Lawyer Dr. Özlem Döğerlioğlu; Dr. Mehmet Yavuz, General Secretary of İZKA Izmir Development Agency, Deputy Director General V. Bahar Güçlü of the Ministry of Commerce's International Relations and Agreements, Derya Erbay, Legislation and Compliance Manager at EPİAŞ, Ramazan Aslan, Executive Partner at LIFE ENERJİ, addressed the effects of the EU Green Deal on Turkey. In the second session moderated by EEA General Secretary İ. Cumhur İşbırakmaz, New Application Areas and Financing in Solar Energy were discussed by; Gizem Çelik, Sustainable Finance Manager at GARANTİ BBVA, Başar Yılmaz, Head of Corporate, Trade Sales and Project Finance Department at DENİZLEASİNG, Gürhan Kanlı, Chairman of the Board of PUNTEKS Textile Machinery Industry Trade Co., and İlkay Yüksel, Renewable Energy and Facility Acceptance Manager at MEDAŞ Meram Electricity Distribution Co.