Manz AG Joins High-Ranking German Economic Delegation During Turkey Visit

• Firm to Highlight Solar PV's Potential to Scale Up Turkey's Energy Savings

Turkey's President recently announced the nation's energy consumption is set to double by 2023, resulting in an investment need of approximately USD 120 billion. Meanwhile, the nation recorded savings of USD 850 million in energy imports over the last year due to its increased renewable energy share. Unsurprisingly, Turkey is now aiming to meet at least 30% of its energy requirements via renewable sources by 2023, with a minimum 3GW-share for solar PV projects. Manz AG – a pioneer for equipment manufacturing in the solar industry, and which has been working towards increased efficiency for solar cells and modules, complemented by decreased production costs – will join a high-profile German economic delegation visiting Turkey from September 29 to October 3 to explore the nation's renewable energy potential. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Southwest Germany, Dr Nils Schmid, will head the delegation.

“The fundamentals for the growth of the PV market in Turkey are in place: the nation enjoys a favourable location in the regional solar band, it has to achieve a substantial solar target to circumvent growing energy costs, and the government is now introducing attractive incentives such as feed-in tariffs,” commented Mohamed Alammawi, Vice President of Sales for the MENA region at Manz.

Alammawi, along with the firm's Founder and CEO Dieter Manz and the firm's country manager for Turkey Ali Isik, will join the economic delegation to extol the virtues of PV technology, and CIGS thin-film modules in particular; CIGS thin-film modules are less sensitive to dust and more receptive to longer wavelengths at wider acceptance angles, making them ideal for Turkey's climate.

Incidentally, Turkey's Minister of Economy is set to award feed-in tariff (FiT) licenses to 28 large solar PV projects this year. In total, the government will award incentives to 35 energy production projects with a combined capacity of 471 MW with a total investment of USD263.3 million.

“Know-how transfer and local production are now highly incentivised by the Turkish government. The local production of PV modules is perfect for Turkey – it is characterised by an established, mature manufacturing market. In the long run it is definitely more cost efficient for Turkish solar suppliers to enter into solar module production,” said Alammawi.