Turkey hopes for EBRD's support for new energy tech.
EBRD is one of the most important international financial organizations for our country," says energy minister
Turkey is hopeful of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) continued support for developments in green hydrogen, carbon capture and clean-burning fuel, energy storage and digital infrastructure, the country’s energy and natural resources minister said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the meeting with the EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and her committee via video link, Fatih Donmez said that Turkey, as a founding member of the bank, is appreciative of the EBRD's more than €13 billion investment in Turkey since 2009, mainly in the private sector.
He underlined that nearly half of this support of over €6 billion has been provided for sustainable energy, energy and resource efficiency and environmental investments, realizing 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy capacity in the country.
“The EBRD has become one of the most important international financial organizations for our country where it operates extensively," he asserted.
Through accelerated cooperation between Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and the EBRD, Donmez envisages the bank’s role continuing especially in green hydrogen, carbon capture and clean-burning fuel, energy storage and digital infrastructure.
The ministry plans to develop new EU-funded loan programs with the EBRD's cooperation during the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) for the period between 2021 and 2027 as part of the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD), Donmez said.
For Turkey’s progress to more resource efficiency in line with the European Green Deal, it is conducting R&D studies on both hydrogen and boron resources with the newly established Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mining Research Institute (TENMAK)
“R&D studies have been finalized and we are in the production stage to produce lithium from boron for use in battery storage. To achieve this aim, techno-economic assessments and feasibility studies between the EBRD and TENMAK for the usage of hydrogen will be held," he said.
These studies will support the development of a roadmap for hydrogen usage with the help of these organizations and the private sector, Donmez concluded.