Energy efficiency Action plan to save Turkey USD 30 billion by 2033

The National Energy Efficiency Action plan will help Turkey save USD 30.2 billion in next 15 years. Both residential and industrial energy sectors will be subjects to energy efficiency refurbishment.

The Turkish High Planning Council approved this plan in January.The plan has 55 actions planned to develop energy efficiency measures throughout various sectors in industry, construction, agriculture, transport, energy generation and transformation.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said earlier this week that USD 10.9 billion in investments in energy efficiency is expected by 2023. By then, nearly USD 1 billion in savings would come up from energy efficiency transformation in 1.7 million residences. Additional USD 10 billion in savings would be achieved in the industrial sector, Anadolu agency reported.

According to Turkish media, Albayrak illustrated the point saying that new era would start in Turkey for street lighting, which represents a great potential for accomplishing energy efficiency targets.

At present, there are 7.5 million street lights in Turkey. By 2023, the government’s target is to bring about 30 percent energy efficiencies in streetlights that will help save USD 45 million (180 million Turkish liras) per year.

The country will use the Renewable Energy Resources Zone (YEKA) model for the street lighting transformation.

In next five years, some 20 thousand people will be employed as a result of these projects and Turkey will be relieved of its obligation to invest USD 4.2 billion for the construction of power plants, the minister said.

For the period 2023 through 2033, savings are calculated to reach USD 152 million (600 million liras).

Speaking at the Energy Efficiency Forum in Istanbul, Albayrak said that energy efficiency is crucially important for a country like Turkey since it is not rich in conventional energy resources.

Last year, the minister presented the country’s National Energy Strategy with a focus on diversification of energy production on local resources. Following the strategy’s announcement, Turkey opened solar and wind tenders to maximize the use of local resources as part of Turkey’s YEKA projects, the agency recalled.