Turkey Adopts Electricity Feed Law

 

Bonn/Istanbul (WWEA) ­ This week, after long discussions, the Turkish Parliament has finally approved a renewable energy law which will provide feed-in tariffs for electricity from renewable energy sources including wind energy. WWEA welcomes this first step towards a broader utilisation of wind energy in Turkey and asks the Turkish Government for further legislative improvements.

The approval of the new renewable energy law by the Turkish National Assembly follows the example of the leading renewable energy countries in Europe like Germany, Spain and ­ in the past ­ Denmark. In the past years the majority of the European countries have adopted similar legislation which is based on the success principles and should also serve as the basis for a future, EU-wide framework for renewable energy to be decided in the coming years. The Turkish Parliament took its decision almost one year after the Parliament Committee for Industry, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology had approved a first draft Law on Utilisation of Renewable Energy Resources for Electricity Production.

The new renewable energy law will support mainly wind power by setting up a purchase guarantee of the average whole-selling electricity price (some 5 ct/kWh) for a period of 7 years for electricity generated from renewable energies. This tariff is much below the average remuneration in the leading European wind markets.

Grid operators will be obliged in principle to provide access to the grid for renewable energy generators. An important aspect is that in principle also independent power producers can benefit from the feed-in tariff which can make it easier for local and rural population and enterprises to benefit from the new legislation and to create a broad basis for an emerging Turkish renewable energy industry.

WWEA Vice President Tanay Sidki Uyar, Associate Professor at the Energy Section of Marmara University, Board Member of the Turkish Wind Energy Association and President of EUROSOLAR Turkey: “We are very pleased that after years of discussion we have been able to convince the Turkish Parliament to make such first, but important step to strengthen the country’s decentralised renewable energy sector. This law also brings Turkish energy policies closer in line with European Union legislation, but we still hope for further improvements which is also the objective of the European renewable energy directive. Turkey is one of the windiest and sunniest places in Europe and can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels very quickly when utilising its domestic renewable potentials ­ even more quickly than other European countries and at very low costs, much lower than when continuing the fossil or nuclear approach.

Unfortunately, the law is certainly not sufficient to attract investment in small hydro, PV and biomass installations. These technologies will also require additional legislative measures.” Christian Johannes, Board Member of the Turkish Wind Energy Association and Managing Director of the Turkish company Reconsult: “It is good to have this new law, but especially for small and medium-sized investors there are still only limited perspectives. We hope for further amendments: A differentiated remuneration system with higher tariffs for some sites would make it much better feasible to tap the huge wind potentials of Turkey and to foster the creation of industrial manufacturing as well as operation capacities in wind and other renewables.”

From the World Wind Energy Association
Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5
53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel. +49-228-369 40-80
Fax +49-228-369 40-84
secretariat@wwindea.org
www.wwindea.org

For further information please contact:

Prof. Dr. Tanay Sýdký Uyar, Vice President
Tel. +90-532 77 44 525, tanayuyar@marmara.edu.tr
Stefan Gsänger, Secretary General
Tel. +49-228-369 40-80, secretariat@wwindea.org