JED calls for investment and wider support for geothermal in Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye

While majority of geothermal energy production in Türkiye is clustered in the Aegean Region, there are efforts to develop new power plants in the fields in Eastern Anatolia. This region is similarly rich with geothermal resources. However, further investment in the region is stymied by opposition from the public, mainly due to lack of information.

Ali Kindap, Chairman of the Geothermal Energy Association (JED) Board of Directors, stated that the Eastern Anatolian provinces, primarily Agri, Mus, Bingöl, Elazig, and Van, possess very rich geothermal resources due to their tectonic structure. He also emphasized that geothermal energy is a resource that is completely local, emphasizing its important role in energy security and independence.

“We don’t ask anyone for permission to use it, we don’t pay anyone any money; we produce continuously 24/7; it is a clean, renewable, and sustainable resource. In the provinces of the Eastern Anatolia Region, projects are being developed in all areas of geothermal energy use that will contribute to the development of the country’s economy. We are also pleased to see that our citizens in many cities support these investments,” said Kindap.

“Because we all know that saying ‘no’ to geothermal energy, which is entirely ours, means saying ‘yes’ to imported energy sources by spending our scarce foreign currency.”

Addressing the information gap is our duty

Kindap stated that some citizens in Mus and Bingöl may oppose geothermal energy due to a lack of information, and reminded that JED and similar civil society organizations have a responsibility to address this deficiency and prevent these oppositions from being politically exploited. He explained that geothermal investments in Eastern Anatolia will contribute to the regional economy in many different areas, primarily through employment in both construction and operations.

The transformative potential of geothermal energy has already been known in other parts of Türkiye. Just as the Diyadin district of Agri has become well-known for geothermal greenhouse framing, many of the districts in Varto and Karliova can become known for energy production, thermal tourism, vegetable and fruit drying investments, and geothermal mining applications.

 “As sector representatives, we attach great importance to our citizens being correctly informed. If geothermal investments are applauded in one province, while they are criticized in another city a few hundred kilometers away, it means there is a lack of information for which we also need to take responsibility,” said Kindap.

Türkiye cannot dismiss its geothermal potential outright

Kindap noted that Türkiye ranks the fourth position in the world and is the leading country in Europe in geothermal power generation. Thus, it simply cannot dismiss this enormous energy source. With the current geopolitical issues, it is in the best interest of Türkiye to give more importance to its domestic and renewable energy sources to ensure security of its energy supply.

“Our country is not rich in natural gas and oil. We don’t need to possess these resources to be energy independent. We must effectively and fully utilize all our renewable resources and meet the energy needs of our 85 million-strong nation with these resources,” said Kindap.

“From this perspective, our geothermal investments in Eastern Anatolia are at the very intersection of our goals for economic development, environmental sustainability, and energy independence. We believe these investments are strong steps in our country’s clean energy journey. Just as our wind energy investments have spread rapidly from west to east in recent years, we must follow the same path in geothermal energy.”

Source: JED via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler