Turkey is host to a rapidly growing economy, and despite growing demand, Turkey’s energy requirements are fulfilled almost entirely by fossil fuel imports. Renewable energy such as wind power can help to meet Turkey’s growing energy demand, limit reliance on energy imports, and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The project
Yundtag wind farm is located roughly 60 kilometers north of Izmir. With strong and steady winds, this area is ideal for the production of wind energy. The 17 turbines of the wind farm make full use of stronger winds at higher altitudes: the wind turbine is mounted 80 meters above the ground with rotors spanning 90 meters. The capacity of each turbine is 2.5 MW. The installations feed almost 160,850,000 kilowatt hours of electricity into the regional grid annually. This equates to clean and sustainable electricity for more than 80.000 households. Revenues from carbon credits has helped to source financing for this forward-looking project, as well as many other projects across Turkey. Supported by carbon finance, Turkey is set to become a global player in wind power production.
Technology Brief – how it works
Driven by the kinetic energy of moving air, the mechanical energy created by a rotor is fed into an attached generator to produce electricity. Output can vary depending on wind speed and this is ultimately determined by atmospheric conditions, although it is also influenced by ground characteristics. A rough surface exerts significant friction, effectively consuming energy and thereby slowing down the moving air. Smooth surfaces cause very little friction, the most obvious example being higher wind speeds in coastal areas.
It is therefore important to site wind farms carefully to maximize their potential. Over the last two decades, wind power technology has rapidly improved. The size and power output have consistently increased, while the cost per electricity unit has steadily fallen. Wind power has become a reliable source of clean energy.
Sustainability Benefits:
Employment: The project created jobs in the construction phase. Locals have also been hired for operation and maintenance of the plant. Environment: The generation of clean energy from wind power helps to replace energy from fossil-fired power plants in the power grid and thus helps to reduce the emission of air pollutants like Soot, NOx, SOx and CO2.
Economy: The project helps to improve the regional and national energy supply and to reduce Turkey’s dependency on fossil fuels. Furthermore, the success of the project helps to break ground for similar private-sector initiatives in Turkey.
Facts:
- Total emission reductions: 115,000 t CO2 e p.a.
- Turbines installed: 17
- Annual energy generation: > 160 GWh
- Number of households supplied: approx. 80,000
- Number of Jobs created: 62
