Turkey's Enerjisa launches 142.5 MW wind farm - EBRD

Turkish privately-owned energy company Enerjisa has commissioned the biggest local wind farm, the 142.5 megawatt (MW) Enerjisa Bares, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which helped finance the project, said on Saturday.

The plant, built with a 135 million euro ($175 million) syndicated loan arranged by the EBRD, is located in Balikesir, in the west of the country. It should increase Turkey’s current wind power-generated electricity by about 8.0%, helping the country diversify away from expensive imported fossil fuels, the multi-lateral lender said in a statement.

“[..] The energy that Bares starts producing today can provide clean electricity to about 170,000 households in Turkey, blowing away costly imported resources, enhancing Turkey’s energy security and bringing the country closer to its renewable energy targets,” EBRD director for power and energy Nandita Parshad said, attending Saturday's commissioning ceremony.

Enerjisa, jointly owned by Turkey's Haci Omer Sabanci Holding A.S. and E.ON SE, is active in electricity generation, trading, wholesale and distribution.

The Enerjisa Bares Wind Power Plant is the EBRD’s second financing of a large wind farm in Turkey. In 2009, the bank provided 45 million euro to help finance the construction and development of a 135 MW on-shore independent wind farm in Osmaniye, in southern Turkey.

($=0.7699 euro)

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