Geothermal heating may turn Manisa province in western Turkey into one of the country’s main hubs for greenhouse production of fruit and vegetables. The project for an industrial zone with two hectares of surface in use is underway.
Turkey, one of the world’s superpowers both in geothermal energy and agriculture, is increasingly leaning on combining the two. High-temperature geothermal waters are mostly suitable for the production of electricity, while the waste heat and cooler sources can be utilized for a variety of purposes.
A massive investment is underway in the Manisa province in western Turkey. Late last month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has established a legal entity that would be in charge of a geothermal greenhouse industrial zone.
The project envisages advanced technology geothermal greenhouses of an overall 200 hectares, the Manisa Governorate said. The aim is to employ 3,500 people at full capacity and produce 80,000 to 96,000 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables per year, the update adds.
Three and a half thousand people could work at the planned geothermal greenhouses
The regional authority didn’t publish financial details, except that the annual contribution from the investment is valued at TRY 2.5 billion to TRY 3 billion. It translates to between EUR 46.6 million and TRY 56 million. The goal is to make Manisa one of Turkey’s main hubs for geothermal greenhouses, the governorate added.
Of note, according to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the country hosted geothermal power plants totaling 1.8 GW in May. It was 1.4% of the country’s entire electricity generation capacity.
Domestic company Margün Energy is searching for lithium in geothermal waters, but it also intends to produce electricity and provide heat for greenhouses.
