With the rapid expansion of agricultural practices worldwide, geothermal energy is emerging as a transformative force, poised to diversify crop production and extend to all regions of Türkiye, regardless of their climatic conditions. Türkiye holds a leading position in Europe in terms of geothermal resources, with over 1,500 natural geothermal outlets.
Ali Kındap, chairperson of the Geothermal Energy Association (JED), highlighted the enormous potential of geothermal energy to revolutionize agriculture in Türkiye. This abundant resource can facilitate the cultivation of a wide variety of agricultural products in every province of the country through geothermal-heated greenhouses.
"With the untapped geothermal resources under our feet, we can grow tomatoes in Ağrı, bananas in Van, and strawberries in Erzurum. We could even create new globally recognized brands, like the 'Anamur banana,'" Kındap explained.
Türkiye has already demonstrated remarkable success in geothermal-driven agriculture. For example, tomatoes cultivated in geothermal greenhouses in the high-altitude district of Diyadin in Ağrı – at temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit) – are in high demand due to their superior quality, outstripping tomatoes produced in the southern city of Antalya.
Moreover, geothermal-driven agriculture offers the potential for substantial cost savings in terms of transportation. By producing fruits and vegetables in various provinces, there is no need to transport products over long distances. This can help reduce food prices and position Türkiye as one of the leading exporting countries in the sector.
Despite being the leading European nation and the fourth in the world for geothermal resource abundance, Türkiye still lags behind countries with lower geothermal resources. Currently, there are 5,293 acres of geothermal greenhouses in operation in Türkiye, but Kındap believes the country can expand this capacity to 100,000 acres within a decade.
He emphasized the importance of supporting soil-less farming and geothermal greenhouse practices in Türkiye, which has the potential to become the world's foremost production hub in this sector. By harnessing its geothermal resources, Türkiye can efficiently cultivate a wide array of fruits and vegetables across the entire Anatolian geography, thereby ensuring healthy, affordable, and accessible food for its 85 million citizens and beyond.
