Geothermal energy in Turkey

Lots of steam rises above metal pipes and vertical cylinders, with a low building and mountains in the background.
Kızıldere geothermal power plant in Denizli Province. All of Turkey's geothermal plants are in the west of the country.

Geothermal energy is a significant part of renewable energy in Turkey: it is used for geothermal heating and generates 3% of the nation's electricity.[1] Turkey is the world's second largest user of geothermal heating, after China.[2]: 51  Many greenhouses, spas and homes are heated by underground water; and many more buildings could be heated in this way.

People have been bathing in hot springs since antiquity. In Turkey electricity from underground steam was first generated in the late 20th century, and 63 geothermal power plants operate in Turkey as of 2022.[3] Turkey has almost 2 GW of geothermal power installed, the fourth largest in the world.[4] All geothermal plants are in Western Anatolia,[1] due to its favorable geology.[5] There is potential for 5 GW of geothermal power in total,[5] including enhanced geothermal systems.[6][7]

Carbon dioxide emissions from new geothermal power plants are high in Turkey, as the metamorphic rocks can release carbon, but the emission rate declines over a few years. Public opinion is sometimes against geothermal due to emissions of foul smelling hydrogen sulfide. To reduce the emission of both carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, the fluid is sometimes completely reinjected back into the reservoir.[8]

  1. ^ a b Renewables 2021 Global Status Report (Report). REN21. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  2. ^ Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (Report). REN21. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Electricity". Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  4. ^ Richter, Alexander (10 January 2022). "ThinkGeoEnergy's Top 10 Geothermal Countries 2021 – installed power generation capacity (MWe)". Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Cariaga, Carlo (10 March 2022). "Interview with JESDER'S Ufuk Senturk on geothermal in Turkey". Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. ^ Chandrasekharam, Dornadula; Baba, Alper (September 2021). "Carbon Dioxide Emissions Mitigation Strategy through Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Western Anatolia, Turkey". Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Turkey's Geothermal Energy Potential and Exploration Studies". General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  8. ^ Richter, Alexander (8 June 2021). "Transmark completes 3.2 MW geothermal plant in Canakkale, Turkey". Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.