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Turkey recently enabled the developers of energy storage systems to add a matching wind and solar power capacity to their projects. Chairman of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) Mustafa Yılmaz said it received applications for renewable energy facilities with storage with a stunning 67.3 GW in combined capacity.
Simplifying the procedure for adding photovoltaic and wind power capacity to storage facilities has turned the energy sector around, according to Turkey’s chief regulator. Chairman of Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA or EPDK) Mustafa Yılmaz claimed it will essentially enable renewable electricity plants to produce baseload power.
The operation of wind turbines and solar panels is sensitive to changes in the weather, apart from some predictability from forecasting. Power links with distant regions and other countries, together with grid upgrades and digitalization, can partly smooth out intermittency issues.
The combination with storage will essentially enable renewable electricity plants to produce baseload power, according to EMRA’s chief
Batteries can contribute a lot as they store excess electricity, to be delivered to the network when it becomes cloudy, the wind unexpectedly slows, or due to a rise in demand. Otherwise, pumped storage hydropower is currently the only conventional technology for balancing. But such facilities take long to be built and they cover vast surfaces.
With a change in regulation on November 19, Turkey made it possible for energy storage developers to get preliminary licenses for a matching capacity in wind or solar power. Investors rushed in, Yılmaz said.
New applications have been received for 19.9 GW in solar power and 47.5 GW in wind power, in combination with storage
He revealed that 334 applications were submitted for solar parks with storage and another 575 for wind farms in less than two weeks, translating to a whopping 67.3 GW in total power capacity – 19.9 GW against 47.5 GW, respectively, in rounded numbers.
Yılmaz estimated the projects are worth an overall USD 110 billion but added that EMRA expects USD 40 billion to USD 45 billion in implementation.
The new rules include the determination of connection terms regardless of any capacity allocation competition.
At the end of last month, renewables made up more than 50% of installed electricity production capacity in Turkey, which amounted to 103.3 GW in total. Wind parks had a share of 11%, compared to 8.8% for the solar power segment, while hydropower was dominant, with 30.6%.
When different sources of electricity are combined or storage is added, such facilities are called hybrid power plants.
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