Turkey - Akuo Energy to build 150 MW wind farm

European developer to invest €210 million in project, as part of €1.5 billion plan for renewables in Turkey over five years.
Paris-based Akuo Energy announced plans to build the largest wind farm in Turkey, estimating the 150-megawatt project will open in 2009.

Akuo subsidiary Perfect Wind Enerji has now received a production license from the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority, green-lighting construction in early 2009 in central Turkey's Kirseir province.

The turbines could produce up to 487.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, the company said in a statement. Akuo said it's the biggest wind farm to receive a license in Turkey.

According to a May 2008 report from the Global Wind Energy Council, Turkey is one of the best potential markets for wind in Europe because of the high wind speeds. The country had 146 MW of wind power at the end of 2007, with additional 600 MW scheduled to come online by the end of 2009, the report said.

It's been a busy week for wind in Eastern Europe. On Wednesday, Good Energies subsidiary Continental Wind Partners said it will sell 600 MW of wind turbines in Romania to utility CEZ Group (see Continental Wind closing €1.1B wind deal in Romania). Continental Wind expects the wind farm to be the country's largest.

Akuo projects it will make a €210 million ($308 million USD) investment in the wind farm as part of the company's larger plan to spend €1.5 billion ($2.2 billion USD) on renewable energy in Turkey in the next five years.

Akuo is an investor, developer and operator of renewable energy in Europe, North America and South America.