Goldbeck Solar expands its activities
The Turkish solar market may expand to 600 megawatt peak over the course of this year. Goldbeck Solar, a solar EPC contractor from Hirschberg near Heidelberg in Germany, wants to provide between 30 and 50 MWp. In a country with an average 7.5 sun hours per day, photovoltaic energy simply makes sense although bureaucratic obstacles currently make delivery complicated.
This month, Goldbeck Solar will commission a 5.5-MWp ground-mount installation in Mersin (5 x 1.1 MWp). “This is our first project in the unlicensed sector in Turkey,” explains managing director Björn Lamprecht. This year, he also expects orders from the licensed segment of the market, allowing Goldbeck to reach its goal.
For the Republic of Turkey, the importance of solar energy keeps growing with a focus on becoming less dependent on Russian gas as well as ensuring a secure of supply of energy. Local banks have also shown interest in participating financially by taking over guarantees for investors.
To be able to increase activities in that market, bureaucratic obstacles will have to be reduced. Last December, Turkey caused quite a stir with its import turnover tax on photovoltaic modules, assessed by their weight. Now, the country is planning to change its financial support for the solar industry, which could slow down large photovoltaic power stations of one MW and more. “In spite of these difficulties, we view Turkey as a growth market,” says Lamprecht, whose team will be present at the Solarex trade fair in Istanbul in early April. Lamprecht believes, legislators and decision makers will increasingly adapt the conditions, creating rules and standards that benefit the PV industry. “We are right in the middle of a readjustment process, on both sides”, Lamprecht adds. With the approx. 300 MWp installed to date in Turkey, the learning curve has rapidly risen. That has become the basis for a sound solar market. As for Goldbeck Solar’s activities in the near future, the focus will not shift from ground-mount (today 80 percent of the market) toward rooftop installations (20 percent).
