Turkey's non-fossil energy sources and positive expectations in the next decades

Abstract

According to some projections, Turkey's primary energy demand is expected to increase four times its 1998 value in the next 20 years. Turkish gas demand is expected to increase more than five folds in 2010 and eight times in 2020. Supplies of fossil and nuclear sources are generally acknowledged to be finite; non-fossil energy sources, such as nuclear, hydropower, biomass, solar and wind, are generally considered renewable and therefore sustainable over the relative long term. Turkey plans to increase hydropower production in the near future. The sharp growth of the energy sector has been accompanied by institutional reforms. One of the most important developments has been liberalization of all energy sectors, including electricity production and distribution, to private capital both national and foreign. Turkey possesses a relatively high abundance of hydropower, geothermal energy, biomass, moderate wind speeds and solar radiation, and nuclear energy resources. Renewable environmentally friendly energy must be encouraged, promoted, implemented and demonstrated for use in Turkey.