Located in one of Türkiye’s most industrialised districts, the Aliağa Wind Power Project shows how renewable energy can deliver climate action while protecting land and supporting local communities. Developed in a region shaped by steel plants, refineries and ports, the project demonstrates that clean energy can thrive even in the heart of heavy industry.
The challenge in Aliaga
Aliağa district is one of Türkiye’s major steel production hubs, hosting a dense concentration of electric arc furnace (EAF)–based steel plants integrated with port, logistics, and energy infrastructure. While the district plays a strategic role in Türkiye’s steel exports, its high electricity demand makes production emissions sensitive to the carbon intensity of power supply.
With the introduction of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), decarbonising electricity supply has become increasingly important for export-oriented industries. At the same time, Türkiye’s 2053 net-zero target places renewable energy expansion at the centre of national climate action.
The role of wind power
Scaling up wind capacity is essential to decarbonise both the power sector and heavy industry, strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.
Within this context, the Aliağa Wind Power Project plays a strategic role by supplying low-carbon electricity to nearby industrial facilities, helping reduce the embedded emissions of steel products and supporting Türkiye’s long-term climate targets, whilst improving energy security by reducing fossil fuel imports.
About the Project
The Aliağa Wind Power Project is a 19.2 MW onshore wind farm located in İzmir, Türkiye, consisting of eight wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 2.4 MW.
The project generates approximately 58 GWh of clean electricity annually, and reduces emissions by around 31,847 tCO₂e per year. Registered under the Gold Standard, and developed by Menderes Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., it delivers verified emissions reductions and supports Türkiye’s transition towards a low-carbon economy.
Gold Standard certification ensures that both the emissions reductions and the sustainable development benefits of the project are independently verified, transparent and credible. Importantly, the project protects one of the last remaining pasture areas in this highly industrialised district, ensuring the land is not converted to further industrial or urban use.
Community benefits
Beyond climate impact, the project delivers meaningful local benefits. These outcomes are just as important as the emissions reductions, because a just energy transition must improve the quality of life for the communities it touches.
Local people were prioritised for employment, and services such as cleaning, transportation, water procurement and pest control are sourced from local companies, helping keep economic value within the region. More than six kilometres of roads were improved during the project and are now used by residents.
Night patrols by security officers have increased safety, creating a more secure environment for local shepherds and their herds. At the same time, the pasture land remains available for traditional use, preserving livelihoods that have existed in the area for generations.
The project also provides direct social support. Food aid is provided during Ramadan to employees, shepherds and local residents, and financial assistance has been extended to local organisations such as the Aliağa Farmers’ Association. These contributions reflect our commitment to supporting the community around the project, in line with the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals.
Education and Awareness
The wind farm is regularly visited by engineers, technicians, university students, elementary school students and sector organisations such as Turkish Women in Renewables and Energy and the Turkish Wind Energy Association.
These visits support technical training, raise awareness of renewable energy and help build understanding of how clean power can be integrated into industrial regions. For us, this knowledge-sharing role is an important part of the project’s long-term value.
Voices from project stakeholders
Hakan TEKKAYA, Energy Power Plants Director
“Projects like the Aliağa Wind Power Project demonstrate that renewable energy can deliver far more than electricity. Carbon finance plays a critical role in enabling these investments, allowing us to reduce emissions while protecting land, supporting local communities and delivering long-term environmental benefits. The Gold Standard carbon market ensures that this impact is transparent, credible and aligned with sustainable development goals.”
Mehmet Bilen, Resident of Aliağa
“Aliağa has long been affected by heavy industry and air pollution. The wind power project has brought positive change to our area in this regard. Clean, renewable energy is our hope for a healthier future for our community.”
Looking ahead
The Aliağa Wind Power Project demonstrates how clean energy can deliver climate action where it is needed most. By generating renewable electricity in a heavily industrialised district, the project reduces emissions, supports local communities and protects valuable land from further industrial pressure.
By purchasing carbon credits from this project on the Gold Standard Marketplace, buyers directly support verified climate action and sustainable development in Türkiye.
Aliağa represents a model for how a just energy transition can work in practice: delivering credible and inclusive benefits to the places where change is needed most.
About Project Developer
Menderes Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. was established in 1958 as Türkiye’s first fully integrated textile production facility and has been part of Akça Holding since 1983. Through Akça Holding, the company has been actively operating in the energy sector since 1998. Today, Menderes Tekstil develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of renewable and hybrid power plants, including wind, geothermal, solar and combined-cycle facilities, with a total installed capacity of approximately 115.7 MW. The Company, listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, regularly reports its energy investments to its shareholders in a transparent manner. With additional licensed wind and solar projects incorporating energy storage under development, Menderes Tekstil continues to expand its contribution to Turkiye’s clean energy transition.