Star – Türkiye’s tallest arch dam, standing at a height of 249 meters will join the national grid on the 12th of December. Deriner Dam and the associated hydropower plant, built on the Coruh River that runs through Türkiye’s eastern Black Sea provinces of Artvin and Bayburt, will be inaugurated by Türkiye’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The hydropower plant will generate 2.1 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of 685,000 people. With an installed capacity of 670 MWs, the plant will make up 6 percent of Türkiye’s hydropower generation capacity. Built by the General Directorate Of State Hydraulic Works for USD 1.4 billion, the dam is one of the 17 hydro power plant projects to rise in Artvin province, according to Artvin Governor, Necmettin Kalkan.
Highly dependent on imported oil and natural gas, Türkiye has been intensfying its efforts to tap on its own renewable resources to satisfy its rapidly increasing electricity demand. The country plans to invest USD 130 billion in energy over the next decade to reach 100,000 MW installed capacity target in 2023, nearly double that of today’s 55,000 MW. Renewable sources are expected to make up 30 percent of the target capacity.