Zorlu Energy's Kizildere 3 geothermal energy power plant in the Denizli province of Turkey's Aegean region has set the bar high globally in terms of its efficiency and as the biggest in terms of combined installed capacity at 165 megawatts, General Manager Responsible for Investments, Operations and Maintenance of Zorlu Energy, Ali Kindap, said Thursday.
Kindap, in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency during a visit to the Kizildere 3 plant, said the plant started electricity production at full capacity this year.
The Kizildere 3 plant has two units, one with 100 megawatts and the second with 65 megawatts of installed capacity.
"We already have Kizildere 1 with 15 megawatts and Kizildere 2 with 80 megawatts of installed capacity in operation. With Kizildere 3, our investment volume for these three plants reached $700 million," Kindap said.
Kindap said Kizildere 3 has the highest capacity in the world as a power plant located in a single site.
"Geothermal is a domestic and renewable energy source. We are doing our best to make it sustainable. Thus, we try to feed our sources underground with re-injection of water," he explained.
Kindap stated that Kizildere 3 with a water temperature of 246 degrees has the highest efficiency among power plants with 230-250 degrees of underground water temperature in the world at 18 percent.
"In the world, the highest percentage is 15. The reason we have 18 percent efficiency is because we use waste steam in a separate part of the plant. So, it contributes a lot to our productivity," Kindap said.
This plant has set a precedent worldwide as the first in the world to use waste steam.
"Now a number of investors take the example of Kizildere 3 for their power plants," he underlined, adding that this production model devised at the Kizildere 3 is now called a "combined geothermal plant."
This production model is currently called "combined geothermal plant" thanks to Kizildere 3, he stated.
Kindap also said that Kizildere 3 plans to meet the energy demand of Turkey's first specially administered greenhouse site to be located next to the power plant.
He stated that the huge 600-acre area plans to be operational next year.
- Geothermal could replace gas imports worth $2.2 billion
Kindap said Zorlu Energy wants to expand its geothermal energy capacity.
"As our domestic source, geothermal energy could be used both for electricity generation and heating and cooling. Turkey has 3,000 megawatts of electricity generation potential from geothermal in western Turkey while this amount is 30,000 megawatts for heating-cooling," he said.
Kindap said this potential could replace 9 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which corresponds to $2.2 billion worth of imports, based on current prices.
By Nuran Erkul Kaya
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr