The Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEİAŞ) has begun improving energy transmission lines on the Çeşme Peninsula. The issue had been a major obstacle for the peninsula's wind power plant investments and now the plants are set to be completed by the end of 2008.
Things are looking up for the wind power plant investments on the Çeşme Peninsula, as the area currently holds the highest wind potential in Turkey. Energy companies that had hesitated to invest in the region due to the insufficiency of transmission lines will now be able to transfer energy to the national network easily following the investments undertaken by the Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEİAŞ). Transmission line improvement, slated to begin within the next few days, is expected to be complete within approximately one year.
The total projected capacity of the investments in Çeşme is about 49 MW. Some 7.2 MW of this amount belongs to Ares, a subsidiary of Güçbirliği Holding, while 39.2 MW belongs to Mare Manastır, a subsidiary of Demirer Holding; and a further 1.5 MW to Alize Enerji. The wind energy capacity the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) currently caps the region at 500 MW. However, according to TEİAŞ authorities, following the completion of the improvements, transmission lines will be able to carry nearly 1000 MW. With these projections, many energy companies are sitting on establishing their plants until improvements are completed.
While TEİAŞ prepares to hold a tender for the investment with the completion of Environmental Impact Assessment (ÇED) stage, the corporation will improve the current line's conductive section between wind power plants and national network. Moreover, the line between Urla and Çeşme will be a double circuit, and will increase transport capacity six-fold. A new 380-kilovolt transformer station will also be established in Urla.
Transmission lines on the Çeşme Peninsula will not only meet the demands of the national network but also those of the Greek islands, such as Mytilene, Rhodes, Chios and Samos, according to TEİAŞ authorities. The project will be underway following the conclusion of energy purchase negotiations between the two countries.
(Turkish Daily News)