Local electricity’s 30 pct produced by hydro power

ISTANBUL - Reuters

The Turkish government backs hundreds of new hydro electric power plant projects.

Thirty percent of the electricity consumed in Turkey in the first seven months of 2012 was produced by hydroelectric plants, Forest and Waterworks Minister Veysel Eroğlu said in a written statement yesterday.

Turkey pays $25 billion for imported energy each year, he said, adding that as the hydroelectric plants currently under construction begin to produce power, most of this money will stay in the country, helping to close the current account deficit, most of which stems from energy imports.

“Total electricity consumption was at 142 billion kilowatt hours [kWh], nearly 40 billion kWh of which came from hydroelectric power plants. It is estimated that the figure will hit 65 billion kWh, breaking a record,” Minister Veysel Eroğlu said.

Turkey recorded a total of 230 billion kWh of electricity consumed last year, and the country’s hydroelectric production capacity has expanded more than 100 percent in eight years, Minister Eroğlu said.

“Applications have been submitted for [the construction of] 1,490 hydroelectric power plant projects, with a total installed capacity of 30,127 megawatt hours,” Minister Eroğlu said.