Turkish company Eksim Energy completed the hybridization of two of its wind power plants with photovoltaics, while it is integrating solar power with two more such facilities. Chief Executive Officer Arkın Akbay said it improves production quality and flexibility.
Marking the rise in its renewables capacity past 1.2 GW, Eksim Energy (Enerji) has pointed out that it is accelerating its investments in hybridization by combining wind and photovoltaics. The company, headquartered in Istanbul, expanded its wind farms Ovacık, near Izmir, and Susurluk, in Balıkesir province in the northwestern part of Asia Minor.
Construction is underway for adding solar power to the Killik facility in Tokat and Kayadüzü in Amasya.
Photovoltaics can elevate wind power’s production quality
CEO Arkın Akbay highlighted the need for investments that increase production quality and system flexibility, together with capacity.
“Utilizing wind and solar energy together in the same area enables more effective use of existing grid infrastructure, a more balanced distribution of production throughout the day and increased flexibility of the energy system. Therefore, we see hybrid investments not only as new capacity investments but also as an important step in the transition to integrated energy systems of the future, together with digitalization, storage and flexible production concepts,” he stated.
Hybridization investments are more cost-effective and faster, the chief executive added, pointing to network connection procedure and permitting, total costs and securing land.
Mid-sized solar parks to be integrated with large wind farms
The Ovacık wind farm has 81.8 MW in capacity. The renewable energy producer, part of Eksim Holding, expanded it with 5 MW of solar power. Susurluk, of 35.6 MW, got a 6 MW photovoltaic unit. The two other expansions are 56.8 MW altogether, the company added.
However, Killik is planned to consist of 100.8 MW in wind power and a 26.5 MW solar park, according to the numbers on Eksim Energy’s website. The original Kayadüzü has 82 MW. It is getting 6.8 MW more wind and a PV system of 19.3 MW, translating to 16.2 MW in grid connection terms. The provinces of Tokat and Amasya are in the Black Sea region.
