Ministry launches project to place solar panels on water

ISTANBUL

Within the scope of a new project by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, which will both increase renewable energy production and protect agricultural lands, floating solar panels will be placed on stagnant water surfaces such as dams and ponds.

The ministry has initiated a project regarding the establishment of floating solar energy systems for stagnant waters, as solar energy collecting panels are established on mainly agricultural lands, which brings the use of these lands for agricultural purposes to a standstill.

With the establishment of floating solar power plants in stagnant waters, such as lakes, dams and ponds, in order to use land more efficiently for agriculture, the country’s fight against the climate crisis will improve.

As in many countries, the focus on renewable energy sources such as solar energy instead of fossil fuels continues in Türkiye to minimize the environmental risks posed by climate change and for clean energy, which is included in the roadmap of the European Green Deal.

Accordingly, a meeting was held with the relevant units and institutions by the ministry’s General Directorate of Water Management.

With the determination of the pilot study area, a general plan consisting of the necessary permits to be obtained, budget planning and environmental consultation of experts regarding the floating solar power plants will be revealed in the following period.

The project aims to contribute to sustainability by protecting water resources and to the renewable future by generating electricity from the sun.

In the meantime, the “Türkiye National Energy Plan” of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry stated that the aim is to make the country’s solar energy capacity reach 52.9 units, with a rise of approximately 500 percent until 2035.

The ministry envisages that solar energy will be the most used energy source with the highest number of installed power plants.

According to the data of the ministry, 10 provinces of the country has an important potential in terms of solar energy.

The capital Ankara, the western provinces of İzmir and Manisa, the Central Anatolian province of Konya and the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa are among the cities with high solar energy capacity, the report said.