A new wave power plant on the Black Sea coast in Istanbul province is supplying a local community center, police station, administration services point and coastal lighting. It is the first deployment of the technology in Turkey.
Hundreds of local authorities throughout Turkey have become prosumers. In addition to rooftop photovoltaics, the conventional solution, many have built larger, ground-mounted solar parks or they are joining forces in such investments with private partners.
There are even projects for municipal wind and floating PV plants! Electricity is, among other purposes, increasingly needed for water and wastewater management – including desalination – and for public transportation. The latest technological breakthrough was officially marked in the township of Karaburun on the Black Sea coast.
The facility was installed using domestic technology
Arnavutköy Municipality, part of the Istanbul province, installed a wave energy plant of 60 kW. Estimated at 184 MWh per year, the output is for a local community center, police station, administration services point and coastal lighting.
Turkey’s first wave power station is contributing to the efforts toward energy independence, being an example of domestic renewables technology, the local authority pointed out.
Of note, there is a renowned Istanbul neighborhood also called Arnavutköy, on the Bosphorus.
Alternative forms of hydropower still struggling to break even
Wave and tidal energy have tremendous potential, but the current solutions aren’t yet cost-effective. Deployment of such alternative types of hydropower is very slow. The pace of research and development and public incentives indicate that the technology could pick up in the next decade.
In the region that Balkan Green Energy News covers, there is also a small wave energy facility in Crete. An island town in Croatia has been considering a concept where it would include green hydrogen production.
Local authority pursuing Green Blue Arnavutköy vision
Mayor of Arnavutköy Mustafa Candaroğlu said the local authority wants to transform Karaburun into an energy hub. The aim is to create a model system that would integrate wind and solar power, he explained.
The municipality wants to be one that leads, not follows the energy transition, Candaroğlu stressed. He also highlighted its Green Blue Arnavutköy vision.
Member of Grand National Assembly Seda Gören said the project is important for Turkey’s energy future as well.
Years from now, after this technology is implemented in different parts of the country, people will be saying that the first step was taken in Arnavutköy, she underscored.
