ENERGY NEWS - TURKEY
Turkey Owns High Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Potential, IEA Head Says

Turkey has significant potential in both energy efficiency and renewable energy, International Energy Agency (IEA) Chairperson Fatih Birol said Tuesday.

Birol was speaking during the “Global Energy Outlook 2020 and Turkey” meeting held virtually by the Turkish Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD).

He noted that even the consumer’s own energy efficiency steps, which reduce energy cost for them, will help the country's struggle with the current account deficit.

Pointing out that energy can be used efficiently by fulfilling the recommendations that are written in legislation, Birol said efficiency, in particular, will make a big difference in the industry.

“An industrial company, by only prioritizing its cost-effectiveness, should make energy efficiency the No. 1 item on its agenda,” he said.

Birol also stressed the importance of the steps taken in Turkey’s renewable energy sector, noting that the country can export its renewable energy technologies to the Middle East, Africa and Caucasus.

He said that the country’s electricity demand is also expected to rise in the coming years.

"Nuclear energy is a sine qua non for renewable energy technologies, as well as an uninterrupted power supply," Birol said concerning the increasing demand, and that Turkey needs to implement necessary nuclear energy projects with reliable partners and within the framework of its economic rights.

Referring to Turkey's biggest-ever natural gas discovery in the Black Sea, Birol said the Sakarya Gas Field, where the gas was discovered, is within the "giant gas fields" category and it has the utmost importance to transform this discovery into an economic gain.

Birol went on to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread damage to the global energy sector and “even if the world economy recovers in a few years, the scars in energy will remain for another 10 years.”

He stressed that there will be a serious decrease in energy demand throughout the year and that oil will take the biggest blow.

Stating that the energy investments in the world are expected to decrease by 20%, Birol emphasized that renewable energy sources were the only energy sources that recorded growth during the pandemic period and that solar and wind energy will continue to grow.

MUSIAD Chairperson Abdurrahman Kaan, also speaking during the meeting said that the share of renewable energy sources in the global energy sector, which is 2.1%, is expected to reach 8.7% in 2045 and that Turkey is trying to be an important actor in the investments made in the sector. “Turkey's energy consumption has been increasing steadily. Considering the annual changes in energy consumption, an average growth of 4.4% stands out in the 2000-2018 period,” he said.

Kaan emphasized that this rapid growth contributes to Turkey's share in global energy consumption. Energy has one of the biggest shares in the foreign trade of the country, Kaan said, noting that energy demand means more foreign trade, which would help the current account deficit.

“Accordingly, risks that affect or are likely to affect global energy prices also have a significant impact on the financial assets and general fragility of the country,” he said.

Kaan noted that the country pays an average of $13 billion (TL 110.89 billion) per year for natural gas, reiterating that the Black Sea natural gas discovery can provide up to 10 years of the natural gas consumption needs of the country, having the potential to play a pivotal role in reducing the current account deficit.

The country has discovered 405 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas at the Tuna-1 location in the Sakarya gas field, located about 100 nautical miles north of the Turkish coast. Exploration and drilling activities continue in the area.

Source: Daily Sabah

Turkish Electricity Distribution Sector Offers 68 Billion Turkish Lira Investment in 5 Years

Turkey’s electricity distribution sector has offered to invest 68 billion Turkish Lira in the coming 5 years, Ismail Ergunes, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors at Uludag Electricity Distribution Company said during a virtual conference.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 13th EIF International Energy Congress and Fair was digitally organized.

Speaking at the electricity distribution session at the conference, Ergunes said that Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) aims to create a quality oriented power distribution sector starting from 2021.

“Thus, the fourth tariff implementation period from 2021 to 2025 will reward good practices and give penalty to the unsuccessful practices,” he said.

Ergunes noted that to apply the best practices, the sector needs further investment in grids, digitalization and technological developments.

“We offered EMRA to invest 68 billion Turkish Lira for this end. We are waiting for the final decision on the investment budget,” he said.

"Digitalization Increases Operational Efficiency"

Memet Atalay, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dicle Elektrik said that as the comfort of the consumer increases, his consumption will also increase.

Stating that subscribers whose consumption is increasing will want to get quality and affordable energy service, Atalay explained that in this context, efficiency in terms of cost and usage will come to the fore.

Enerjisa Energy Inc. Murat Pinar Chief Executive Officer also expressed that digitalization and a great role in the data of the electricity distribution, "Turkey, energy costs in a position to provide more current for the remainder we interests. Foreign and financing sources produces positive value terms. Therefore, our sector national and local solutions need to be increased. I think these studies can be done with the partnership of the private sector and the public to create new business areas. " he said.

ENERGY NEWS - WORLD
Cities and Community Investments in Smart Energy to Hit $64 Billion By 2030

Research firm Guidehouse Insights predicts the global market for smart energy technologies to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 10% between 2020 and 2030. Global cities and communities are expected to invest $64 billion in smart energy technologies by 2030.

Smart energy communities that integrate multiple clean energy technologies are key to developing zero-carbon cities, according to the study. As the nature of energy generation and use becomes more distributed, more flexible, and more digital, entire communities are beginning to combine various emerging smart energy technologies to achieve greater levels of grid resilience and reliability at a lower financial cost.

Whether isolated islands, green field residential developments, or urban multifamily housing blocks, smart energy communities are combining renewable energy generation, energy storage, smart meters, green buildings, blockchain, and other technologies to exert more control over their energy usage. 

While technology challenges still exist, the biggest barrier to the faster deployment of smart energy communities is the need for complex stakeholder management.

The sometimes-conflicting demands of residents, local government, energy providers, grid operators, regulators, and real estate developers all need to be balanced. Open and transparent communication between stakeholders and early community engagement are therefore key to successful projects.

Eric Woods, research director with Guidehouse Insights, said: “The need for smart energy communities is being driven primarily by the need to increase energy resilience and reduce carbon emissions. Energy consumers are also expressing an interest in using energy that is generated locally and that they can partly control. Other clean energy developments, such as the expansion of electric vehicle ownership, are also influencing new approaches to community energy provision.”

Source: Smart Energy International

5 Digital Trends Unlocking Solar Potential in Emerging Markets

Solar Power Europe recently hosted a digital dialogue as part of the Digital Energy Festival to explore how digitalisation is impacting the growth of solar power within emerging markets. The session was hosted by Merce Labordena, Senior Policy Advisor at Solar Power Europe and an expert panel of speakers.

Together, they identified five areas in which digitalisation is driving growth in the deployment of solar solutions. Hendrik Broering, CPO at AMMP Technologies, focused on the needs and challenges unique to Africa. The business models and electricity markets operate differently, and system uptime is vital in countries where supply is intermittent.

For example, in a country like Nigeria, there is an incentive to use digital technologies to boost uptime. Monitoring software solutions that focus on ensuring solar PV performance are becoming more popular for this reason. Jorg Althaus, regional manager for India, Middle East & Africa for Solar Energy and Global Segment Coordinator PV Power Plants, TV Rheinland, explained that even long before COVID-19, digitalisation has been changing the nature of the sector.

The use of software to ensure everyone speaks the same language is increasing, together with the use of drones and AI. Remote geodata collection is more frequent through the use of dedicated software and sensors, providing vital data throughout all project phases.

Chanda Nxumalo, director of Harmattan Renewables, highlighted the benefits of digitalisation for asset management during the pandemic. It’s increasingly vital for developers, IPPs and lenders to have a centralised record of the solar plant information. Using the data generated from ground monitoring stations is important throughout the project lifecycle. Due to travel restrictions and COVID- 19 related lockdowns, a minimal amount of people has been on site.

However, using digitalisation has allowed teams to gain on-site information regarding testing, inspection and verification, etc. All that data can now be centralised by using specific software and is accessible to all.

Emilio Marconell, COO of Powertis, mentioned that the current tools are insufficient and classic generation models have clear limitations. Accurately tracking misalignment issues, thermal losses and irradiance variation for example is challenging, even more so now with bifacial models.

Accurate digital tools are being developed to ensure project developers have a clear understanding of the new development and a correct levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Peter Lilienthal, the founder of HOMER Energy, explained that small micro and mini grids are being used as innovation platforms. Hybrid systems are becoming more popular and because they are smaller and more numerous, innovation is easier. Innovation can be seen in the use of remote monitoring, remote metering and pay-as-you-go meters etc. These grids are also driving renewable uptake, and in turn driving the need for new storage, load management and tariff solutions.

Source: Power Engineering

PowerChina, WindFarm Move Forward with 800MW, $1B Wind Project in Ukraine

Chinese company PowerChina and Ukrainian WindFarm have signed a contract on building a wind power station with a capacity of 800 megawatt[s] in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast, near towns Manhush and Nikolske. It will become the biggest wind farm in Europe if offshore wind farms aren’t counted, reads the WindFarm’s statement published on Oct. 30. The project will cost at least $1 billion.

When built, the wind farm will sell its power for the market price, meaning that, unlike all other renewable power producers, PowerChina and WindFarm won’t be selling their electricity to the state for above-market prices — through the country’s green tariff, WindFarm deputy director Aleksandr Charun told the Kyiv Post. Currently, Ukraine has the highest tariff for renewable power in Europe.

According to Charun, WindFarm does all the paperwork, while PowerChina is in charge of constructing the wind farm. At the moment, the WindFarm is submitting the documents for the project. Once the paperwork is done, the company will sign an agreement with state-run power company Ukrenergo and connect to its networks.

Renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power and excluding hydropower, secure only 8.1% of the total electricity generated in Ukraine, according to the Energy Ministry of Ukraine.

Source: IEEFA

Statkraft to Buy Solarcentury in Latest Solar-Hydropower Tie-Up

The Norwegian hydropower business wants to pay €131 million for the London-based clean energy developer which claims to have brought to life 1.2 GWp of project capacity in seven countries since 2013. Consolidation continues in the renewables industry with the news this morning Norwegian clean energy company Statkraft is set to acquire London-based rival Solarcentury in a near £118 million (€131 million) deal.

The move, which is expected to complete this year, subject to regulatory approval, will see Statkraft acquire Solarcentury's 6 GW project pipeline in Europe and South America, according to a statement released this morning by the Hanover Comms PR business used by Statkraft. The acquisition could open up floating solar opportunities for a company which established its renewables reputation as a hydropower company.

Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen – quoted in the press release – said: “This acquisition is in line with our strategy to ramp up as a wind and solar developer and become one of the leading renewable energy companies globally. Just like hydropower and solar power complement each other, Statkraft and Solarcentury are an excellent fit in terms of purpose and people. Joining forces will accelerate our growth and continue to drive the energy transition forward.”

The acquisition mirrors a recently announced plan by Statkraft compatriot Scatec Solar to buy Norwegian state-owned hydropower company SN Power.

Source: PV Magazine

REPORT OF THE WEEK

Rise of Renewables in Cities

As the world grapples with climate change, urban energy systems have emerged as a key focus of mitigation and adaptation strategies. Cities contribute high shares of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Yet they also offer clear opportunities to reduce emissions and develop climate-resilient future infrastructure.

Please click here to read the full report.

INFOGRAPHIC