Current status and future directions of wind energy applications in Turkey

Achieving sustainable development is a target that is now widely seen as important to worldwide public opinion. In this context, the utilization of renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy appears to be one of the most efficient and effective ways of achieving this target. Recently, wind power as a potential energy has grown at an impressive rate in Turkey. This paper investigates the status and future directions of wind energy development in Turkey as of the end of October 2001. Electricity generation through wind energy for general use was first realized in Izmir, Turkey in 1986 with a 55 kW nominal wind energy capacity. However, the development of wind energy in Turkey started about 3 years ago when some wind plants were installed at several locations in the country. To date, 3 wind power plants were installed with a total capacity of 18.9 MW. It is projected that the total installed capacity will reach about 504 MW by the end of 2002. Present applications have shown that wind energy in Turkey is a promising alternative. As the public recognizes the projects, the progress will continue.