ENERGO-PRO to complete construction of Turkey's largest hydroelectric power plant

The international ENERGO-PRO group based in Prague is starting a project to build a hydroelectric power plant and Alpaslan 2 dam in Turkey. It is the largest private hydroelectric power plant in Turkey in view of the size of the reservoir and the ninth largest dam in all of Turkey. The other eight largest hydroelectric power plants in Turkey are owned by the Turkish government.

The project for the Alpaslan 2 hydroelectric power plant involves the installation of 280 MW of capacity and an annual production of 860 GWh of electricity. “This will be our largest plant to date,” said Pavel Vanya, CEO of ENERGO-PRO Group. In addition to Turkey, ENERGO-PRO operates hydroelectric power plants in Bulgaria, Georgia and the Czech Republic.

The ENERGO-PRO Group, based in the Czech Republic, has bought Turkey's Alpaslan 2 project from Turkish and German owners, gaining control of 100 percent of the shares in the project from Murat Nehri, a company owned by Enerjisa Enerji, a joint venture of Turkey's Sabanci Group and German energy company E.ON. “We completed the transaction at the end of April and expect the production facility to be put into operation within three years," said Pavel Vanya.

License until 2059

The previous owner invested about $250 million in the realization of the project. ENERGO-PRO bought the project at a significantly lower price. Construction was stopped more than a year ago. That's how long the negotiations on the deal have been going on. The new facility will be located on the Murat River in Mus Province, southeastern Turkey. Together with the acquisition of the project, ENERGO-PRO Group also acquired a license to operate the Alpaslan 2 plant until 2059. Guaranteed revenues will reach $73 per megawatt hour in the first 10 years.

Currently, the Alpaslan 2 hydroelectric power plant is half completed. It is necessary to build the wall of the dam. ENERGO-PRO will use a new technology for the construction of the dam, the clay coating will be replaced by concrete-asphalt. The aim is to reduce costs and speed up the plant's commissioning. The cost of completing the project will reach $240 million.

Serious search in Turkey

The energy sector in Turkey is experiencing a period of boom in new sources, which should cover the growing demand for electricity related to the growing needs of the local economy. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last year that Turkey needed investment in energy projects reaching $110 billion to achieve its goal of being ranked among the world's 10 most developed economies by 2023. Turkey also plans to significantly reduce its dependence on electricity imports (from abroad).

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said in April that Turkey ranks among the largest energy consumers among OECD member countries, and that Turkey's role would be crucial in taking into account the changing trends in the global energy sector. Renewables, including hydroelectric power plants, occupy an important place in the country's energy mix.