Published: January 6, 2013
Government-owned EÜAŞ and TAQA open negotiations to form project company for 7,000 MW initiative.
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are planning the development of a 7,000 megawatt power plant project in the Afsin-Elbistan region of southeast Turkey.
The countries' governments have signed an agreement that opens negotiations between the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Turkey's Electricity Generation Company (EÜAŞ) and the Turkish government. TAQA and EÜAŞ are expected to form a project company in which TAQA will take a majority shareholding.
The project company will buy and modernise an existing 1,400 MW plant and develop several new plants and associated lignite mines in the region. The Turkish government hopes that developing the country's indigenous lignite resources will help the nation to reduce its dependence on imported natural gas.