Limak’s Cetin HEPP starts production

LIMAK ENERJI, Turkey’s seventh biggest electricity generator according to the MW 100 Turkey 2020 list, is continuing to expand its power generation capacity. The construction of Cetin Hydroelectric Power Plant on Botan Stream, which Limak Enerji bought from Norwegian Statkraft while still under construction, has been completed. The power plant, whose registry process was passed by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources following the start of the testing, has now started production.

The plant has a total 420 MW installed capacity consisting of three large turbines (134.2 MW ) and a smaller turbine (17.2 MW.) Two large turbines and the small turbine are now running, with the remaining large turbine set for operation in June, according to company officials.

THIRD LARGEST PLAYER IN HYDRO

Limak Enerji has controlled 648 MW of installed power in eight hydroelectric power plants (HEPPs), some in partnership with other players. With the addition the Cetin plant, which is 100 percent owned by Limak, the company becomes the third largest private sector HEPP player in Turkey after Enerjisa ve Cengiz Enerji, which has approximately 1,075 MW of installed capacity.

Elektrik Uretim A.S. (EUAS,) the publicly-owned electricity generation company, comes first with its 12,276 MW installed power, according to the MW100 Turkey list, based on December 31, 2019 data. EUAS, pulled away from other players, both HEPPs and in total, with the commissioning of 1,200 MW Ilisu HEPP on May 19.

HEPP CHAIN IN BOTAN

With the commissioning of Cetin HEPP, Limak Enerji became the operator of a three-dam HEPP chain on the Botan Stream, called a cascade in industry jargon. The water released from Cetin HEPP will be collected in the reservoir of Alkumru HEPP, operated by Limak, and will be reused. The water passing through the Alkumru turbines will be converted into electricity for the third time after it accumulates in the Kirazli Dam, which is also the reservoir of another HEPP owned by Limak.

3.8 BILLION KWH PER YEAR

“Cetin HEPP is among the largest capacity hydroelectric power plants in Turkey. The average annual operational capacity of our hydroelectric power plants, which was 2.6 billion kWh at the beginning of 2020, has reached 3.8 billion after the commissioning of Cetin HEPP,” said Taner Ercomert, HEPP Production Group General Manager at Limak.