Turkey plans to generate electricity through sea water heated by magma rising through cracks on the seabed offshore from the city of Mugla in the Aegean Sea.
The country aims to build a geothermal plant in the southern part of the Aegean Sea to utilize the magma rising through the cracks resulting from 200 small earthquakes which occurred in November 2012.
'After the earthquake, cracks formed in the sea floor,' said Berkan Ecevitoglu, deputy principal of Astronautics Institute at Anadolu University.
'The magma pushes to the surface and reaches the sea water at 300 to 350 degrees centigrade,' Ecevitoglu explained.
'If we can succeed in transferring the heated sea water to use it to turn the geothermal plant's turbines then we can generate electricity,' he said.
The plant would be especially useful in the summer time when there is a boost in demand for electric power as the temperature rises and the population growth surges due to tourism, Ecevitoglu said, adding that in order for this project to be realized, investment is needed.
'Our aim is to build an environmentally friendly plant and set an example in the region,' he said.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the project is planned to be constructed in a way that will not be visible from the shore so as not to be an eyesore, he said.
Ecevitoglu added that they will meet with the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed with the project.
Anadolu Agency