Arizona-based First Solar Inc. has been awarded interconnection rights for three planned utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants in southern Turkey.
The rights were issued following a competitive tender that was administered by the Turkish Electricity Transmission Co. as part of the country's Renewable Energy Resources Support Mechanism program.
Subject to regulatory approval, the three projects, with a combined capacity of 19 MW, will be developed in the Mugla, Burdur and Urfa provinces. When complete, the plants will produce an estimated 31.5 GWh of electricity per year. All three projects use First Solar's thin-film module technology.
‘We entered the Turkish market, less than twelve months ago, with a strong belief in its potential to evolve into one of Europe's first truly sustainable PV markets,’ says Christopher Burghardt, vice president for Europe at First Solar. ‘Our success in securing these connection rights vindicates our position and reinforces our confidence in the country and in the strength of its regulatory framework for renewable energy. We look forward to building on our success in Turkey and to contributing toward realizing the country's energy security ambitions.’
