The EPDK has completed its study of private sector projects that are scheduled to be completed for this year. The study was prepared utilizing energy companies’ progress reports.
Assessing the study’s findings in an interview with the Anatolia news agency on Sunday, Köktaş began by providing information regarding projects invested in during 2009. The energy capacity of the facilities constructed last year was 2,833 megawatts, nearly half of which was in natural gas. Around 1,000 megawatts of capacity was derived from investments in renewable energy, whereas the remainder was on other fuel resources such as coal. “This figure was the highest in seven years, but we expect it will be even higher in 2010,” Köktaş asserted.
The renewables sector will account for a larger portion of total energy investments this year, some TL 3.5 billion. Around TL 1.4 billion will be invested in plants that will turn natural gas into electricity. These facilities will have 3,400 megawatts of electricity production capacity, which is almost equal to 21 billion kilowatt-hours.
Köktaş also said his institution aims to smooth the process to make it easier for licensed projects to get completed. “The second phase of our initiative to investigate energy investments on site, which we had started in 2009, will start by April of this year. We will see the construction sites for hydroelectricity, wind and natural gas projects with members of the agency to determine the problems at first hand and later produce solutions,” he said.
Additionally, Köktaş said the EPDK would continue its tough stance against companies who had obtained construction licenses for energy projects but had failed to start them. The agency will cancel these companies’ licenses to ensure the country’s resources are in the best hands, he added.
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