Turkey attracts 77 applications in 650 MW solar tender
Turkey attracts 77 applications in 650 MW solar tender
From: PV Magazine
Turkey’s latest renewable energy tender received 77 applications from 38 different companies across eight available solar projects, including the country’s first floating PV plant. Winners will be announced before the end of the year.
Image: Tarik Haiga/Unsplash
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Turkey received 77 applications from 38 different companies across eight solar projects under the latest round of its Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) mechanism, according to figures published by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
The procurement exercise was first announced as a 850 MW solar tender split across nine projects, but following the cancellation of one project, ran with a total capacity of 650 MW across eight sites. The starting ceiling price remained at €0.055 ($0.065)/kWh, with a base price of €0.0325/kWh.
An update from the ministry says six applications were received for the 50 MW Bolu solar power plant, alongside eight for the 40 MW Van solar power plant, nine for the 100 MW Erzurum-1 GES project and five for the 85 MW Erzurum-3 GES project.
The largest project in the tender, the 260 MW Eskişehir solar power plant, received four applications.
The 40 MW Kahramanmaraş solar power plant received the most applications across the available projects, at 19, followed by the 40 MW Mardin solar power plant, which received 15.
The tender also features Turkey's first floating solar power plant following last year's amendment to Coastal Laws governing the construction of renewable energy sites in seas, dam lakes, artificial lakes and natural lakes. The 35 MW Demirköprü floating solar power plant, to be co-located by an existing hydroelectric plant, received 11 applications.
Turkish Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar said that the applications include bids from international investors.
Winners of each of the solar projects will be announced before the end of the year. Successful bidders will be permitted to sell the electricity generated on the free market for 60 months, beginning from the contract signing date. After this period, a 20-year power purchase agreement based on the tender price will be put in place.
This is the second YEKA auction to take place this year, following a tender in January and February which allocated 800 MW of solar alongside 1,200 MW of wind. The current auction is also tendering 1,150 MW of wind, with applicants due to be announced on Dec. 2.
Turkey added 3.1 GW of solar during the first half of this year, taking cumulative solar capacity past 23 GW. As of September, combined solar and wind capacity had exceeded 37 GW, equivalent to almost 31% of the country’s installed energy capacity. Turkey is aiming to reach 120 GW of solar and wind energy capacity by 2035.