Turkey: The city of Gaziantep will supply all its municipal buildings and infrastructure with renewable energies

The city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey is expected to power most of its municipal buildings and infrastructure with renewable energy as part of its climate action.

It has more than 2 million inhabitants and is home to half a million Syrian refugees, the second largest Syrian community in Turkey after Istanbul. The municipality is committed to a sustainable urban transformation that will benefit all residents.

She has just joined the EBRD’s flagship urban sustainability program, Green Cities.

As part of this cooperation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is granting a loan of 10 million euros over 10 years to finance five photovoltaic solar power plants connected to the grid with a total installed capacity of 27 MW. The loan will be accompanied by a grant of € 7 million from the Bank’s Shareholders’ Special Fund with the aim of supporting the municipality whose population has grown rapidly, in part due to an influx of refugees from from Syria.

Photovoltaic solar power plants will provide significant savings on electricity bills, relieving pressure on the city’s budget. The project will also help avoid carbon emissions and the intensive use of water for power generation, which is particularly important in southeastern Turkey, where water is scarce.

The municipality also plans to involve young women in the project by offering internships and encouraging them to pursue careers in sustainable energy.

“We are doing our best to increase the production of renewable energy. We also strive to keep the city’s air and water clean. Support from the EBRD and its Green Cities program is timely as we step up our efforts to improve sustainability. The 27 MW solar power plant will have a significant impact on the environment and climate of Gaziantep and the region ”. Nandita Parshad, EBRD Managing Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, added: “The EBRD is clearly delivering on its commitment to support Turkey’s green transition. Investing in a solar project for the municipality’s own energy consumption is our first step in Gaziantep as part of our Green Cities program. We will also help the city to integrate solar energy more widely into the electricity grids ”.

Gaziantep is the fourth Turkish city to join the Green Cities alongside Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Turkey and has invested € 14 billion in the country to date, mainly in the private sector.