Europe's Biggest Solar Power Plant Opens in Turkey

(MENAFN) Europe's biggest solar power plant, the Karapinar solar plant, with a capacity of 1,350 megawatts (MW), has officially opened in Konya, southcentral Turkey. The facility, developed by Kalyon Enerji, comprises over 3 million solar panels that will generate 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to provide power to 2 million people and prevent the use of USD450 million of fossil fuel equivalent resources. The solar plant is part of Turkey's Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) initiative, which aims to establish renewable energy facilities in areas with high concentrations of renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power.

YEKA projects use investments from local investors and/or consortiums to manufacture equipment and construct large-scale electricity generation facilities. The Karapinar solar plant is unique among large solar parks as it is funded by a group of investors or consortiums rather than a single investor. The plant covers an area of 20,000 decares and is situated in an area with the highest solar exposure, making it an ideal location for a solar power plant.

The solar panels used in the Karapinar facility come from Turkey's first integrated solar ingot-wafer-module-cell production factory in Ankara, established by Kalyon Solar Energy Technologies Production Company, which started production on August 19, 2020. In recent years, YEKA projects have been the main drivers of growth in renewable energy in Turkey, contributing to the development of technology, equipment manufacture, and electricity generation.

The opening of the Karapinar solar plant marks a significant milestone in Turkey's transition to renewable energy and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. The project is expected to provide significant environmental benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. It also highlights the potential for renewable energy to meet the energy needs of a large population and contribute to sustainable development. The success of the project is likely to encourage further investment in renewable energy in Turkey and beyond.

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