Turkey's leading mobile network operator Turkcell, which started energy investments with its subsidiary Enerjicell in 2016, has installed the group's first solar power plant in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The Northern Cyprus Turkcell Solar Power Plant, with an installed power of 900 kilowatts peak (kWp), was completed in just four and a half months at an investment of TL 6 million, Turkcell said yesterday.
The opening ceremony was attended by a number of officials, including Turkey's Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçer, Turkcell Chairman Ahmet Akça, Turkcell board member Atilla Koç, Turckell General Manager Murat Erkan, Turkcell Northern Cyprus Turkcell General Manager Harun Maden, Northern Cyprus Ministry of Public Works and Transportation Undersecretary Kemal Bağzıbağlı, Vadili Mayor Mehmet Adahan and many other officials.
Northern Cyprus Turkcell's first and only solar power plant operating on the third largest island in the Mediterranean, to the south of Turkey, was established on a 10-decare area.
A total 2,500 units of high-energy panels and nine power plant-type inverters were used. The plant, which will generate 1.51 million kilowatt-hours (kWh)of energy to the network through medium voltage per year, is expected to prevent a release of 906,481 kilograms of carbon emission.
The power plant also aims to ease the demand burden on the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority's (KIB-TEK) network and help improve energy quality in the region.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Turkcell Chairman Akça said, "As Turkcell, we call ourselves the world's first digital operator. We offer Turkcell digital services currently used in Northern Cyprus to many countries around the world, such as Nepal, the Caribbean, Albania and Ukraine. We shared this achievement for the first time with you in Northern Cyprus. As Turkcell, we strive to do all of our work first in Northern Cyprus."
Stressing that just like they moved Turkcell's presence in Turkey to North Cyprus five years after the establishment of Turkcell, they also presented their new products and services here as well, Akça said that they made their first investment in solar energy in North Cyprus.
On the other hand, Turkcell General Manager Erkan noted that their goal as Turkcell is always to be the brand of quality in pursuit of innovation, adding they maintain this vision, as in everything they do, with the same sensitivity and enthusiasm in their energy systems business. Erkan said that they established the Turkcell Energy Company in Turkey for these reasons.
"Our energy company is trying to find solutions to how we can use our energy more efficiently and smoothly and offer our services to our people and our customers more easily rather than repeating the existing structure," Erkan said. "Considering the possibilities, the sun is one of the most vital energy sources for both Northern Cyprus and Turkey. We, as Turkcell, are making notable investments to use this valuable resource, and we will continue to do so in the future."