Hydroelectricity in Turkey

Hydroelectricity is a critical source of energy in Turkey and substantial amounts can be generated due to its mountainous landscape and position between three seas. The main river basins are the Euphrates (Turkish: Fırat) and Tigris (Turkish: Dicle). Turkey has built many dams, and hydroelectric power plants can now generate about 23GW.[1] The many projects currently in progress, such as the Southeastern Anatolia Project, total another 15GW.[2] The energy policy of Turkey supports hydropower.

Some dams in Turkey are controversial.[3] However it is claimed that hydropower can be expanded without damaging the environment [4]

History

The first hydroelectric plant in Turkey was constructed at Tarus in 1902. This plant only produced 60KW, but nonetheless was a great technical achievement for the country.

In later years there were many more projects including: Seyhan, Sariyer, Hirfanli, Kesikkopru, Demirkopru, and Kemer. These projects were either dams or hydroelectric power plants and by 1940 there were a total of 28 hydroelectric power plants in Turkey.

After the State Hydraulic Works (DSI) was established in 1954 projects were better funded and the power produced per year was greatly increased.[5]

Projects

The most recent project in Turkey is the GAP project. Also known as the Southeastern Anatolia Project, the GAP project was planned by the DSI and it includes the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants. Most of the project is complete, but there are still dams and hydroelectricity power plants under construction. Once completed, theoretically, 27 billion kWh/year will be generated.

Currently there are 172 dams/hydroelectric power plants in operation, 148 under construction, and 1,418 projects available .[6]

Environmental effects

There are positive and negative environmental effects caused by the dams and hydroelectric power plants. A positive environmental effect of hydroelectric power plants in Turkey is the decrease of carbon emission because the production of energy does not emit any byproduct. Compared to thermal power generating units, it is much more environmentally friendly.

On the other hand, the hydroelectric power plants have had a negative impact on species. Many fish are killed in hydroelectric power plants because there are no fish passages. This can be fixed by implementing fish passages into new projects. Also, the high flow of water causes soil erosion, which kills plant species. This is a hard environmental issue to fix.

Another main issue is salinity. Salinity causes the reduction of water quality, soil erosion, and effect on plant growth. Salinity caused by dams has decreased the agricultural activity near dams and hydroelectric power plants. There has also been a great issue with increased bedrock exposure. Erosion is an issue for which a solution is being sought.

These projects have also caused an issue of land acquisition and resettlement of people. The Ataturk and Karakaya project of the GAP caused the displacement of 100,000 people. Hundreds of villages have been affected by projects in Turkey to build dams and hydroelectric power plants. Some families got land to construct new houses. On the other hand, some families were admitted back to their properties after the construction of the dams or power plants if feasible.[7]

Hydroelectric potential

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) the hydroelectric potential of Turkey is 58 TWh/year, about 1% of the hydroelectric energy produced in the world.[8]

Energy storage

"It might be that in coming years the pumping storage power plant market will also grow or start in Turkey"[2] as this could store energy produced by wind and solar power plants.

Largest stations

Name Power Output in Megawatt
Ataturk Dam 2400 MW
Karakaya Dam 1800 MW
Ilisu Dam 1200 MW
Birecik Dam 852 MW

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Turkey country profile". International Hydropower Association. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Reaching for Turkey's Hydropower Summit". Hydroworld. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Government to ease hydro plant construction for firms". Hurriyet.
  4. ↑ "Turkey turns to hydropower".
  5. ↑ Dursun, Bahtiyar; Gokcol, Cihan (2011). "The role of hydroelectric power and contribution of small hydropower plants for sustainable development in Turkey". Renewable Energy 36: 1227–1235. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.10.001.
  6. ↑ Yuksel, Ibrahim (2012). "Water development for hydroelectric in southeastern Anatolia project (GAP) in Turkey". Renewable Energy 39: 17–23. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2011.08.006.
  7. ↑ Berkun, Mehmet (2010). "Hydroelectric potential and environmental effects of multidam hydropower projects in Turkey". Energy for Sustainable Development 14: 320–329. doi:10.1016/j.esd.2010.09.003.
  8. ↑ "Turkey: Renewables and Waste for 2012". www.iea.org. International Energy Agency. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
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