In Turkey, 944 dams are functioning, the tanks of which occupy an area of 5,300 square kilometers and which are not used for drinking water supply.
It is predicted that in the case of the establishment of floating solar power plants (SES) at 10 percent of these areas, a fourth part of the country’s needs can be provided with electricity.
It is noted that the energy efficiency of floating SES panels is 10 % higher than the work of ground. SES floating can occupy an unused space of water bodies, including reservoirs on the dams of hydroelectric power plants, except for those that are intended for drinking water supply. 944 dams in Turkey, not serving for drinking water supply, have a very large reservoir area – 5,300 square kilometers. If you use 10% of these areas under the floating solar power station, then, according to estimates, it will be possible to produce 79 billion 500 million kilowat-hours of electricity every year with a powerful power of 53 thousand megavatts. This corresponds to about a quarter of Turkey’s needs for electricity. It is assumed that the volume of water, which will be saved by preventing evaporation due to floating solar power plants, will be 540 million cubic meters per year, and carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by more than 51 million tons. Given the lakes and ponds in Turkey, according to estimates, the potential of floating solar energy will exceed these declared indicators.
The head of the Association of Energy Studies of the Southeast Region (GEADER) Omer Celebi said that Turkey has good potential in terms of establishing floating SES panels.
“Floating solar power plants will open a new era in Turkey’s policy on renewable sources of energy and green transformation, as well as make a significant contribution to the country’s national energy policy,” Chestlo said.
He noted that the floating solar power plants in recent years have become widespread all over the world.
According to him, the potential in the power production plan due to floating solar power plants is estimated at 80 gigavatts.
Chelebi pointed out that the most suitable regions for the installation of floating solar power plants in Turkey are the places where the most sunlight, and the southeastern Anatoly has precisely such features.
This region is also an ideal place for investment due to the presence of many dams and ponds, ”he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the investor association in solar energy (Güneşder) Serd, the Equipment said that Turkey has a huge potential in the case of installing a solar power station with a peak with a capacity of 1 megavatts on an area of about 9 thousand square meters.