Energo-Pro embarks on biggest hydro power project in Turkey

Czech power distributor Energo-Pro is set to complete the construction of the biggest private-owned hydro power plant in Turkey. The plant, situated in the south eastern part of the country, should be completed and launched in three years’ time, the daily Hospodářské noviny wrote on Thursday. The overall cost of the project is expected to reach 240 million US dollars, which is nearly 6 billion crowns.

Illustrative photo: European Commission

Prague-based group Energo-Pro bought the project, called Alpaslan 2, from its previous German and Turkish owners. “The transaction was completed at the end of April,” the company’s executive director Pavel Váňa told the daily. The existing owners allegedly invested around 250 million dollars into the project. Energo-Pro said they bought the project for a much lower prise, but didn’t disclose any further details.

The construction of the hydro plant was interrupted about a year ago and the subsequent negotiations over its sale lasted for about a year. Along with the project, Energo Pro also acquired a license to run the plant until the year 2059. At the moment, the Alpaslan 2 project is about half-way completed.

The new dam and hydro power plant will be located on the River Murat in the Mus province in south eastern Turkey. According to the company’s spokeswoman, Hana Hikelová, the output of the new hydro plant will be 280 megawatts and expected annual electricity production will be around 860 gigawatt-hours.

Energo-Pro currently runs several dozen hydro plants, most of them in Eastern Europe and Turkey. The new facility will be the company’s biggest project so far.

Apart from operating hydro plant, Energo-Pro is also engaged in electricity distribution and power trading, operating large-scale distribution grids in Bulgaria and Georgia with more than 2 million customers.

Energo-Pro also owns two daughter companies, Czech supplier of hydroelectric technologies ČKD Blansko and Litostroj Power, a Slovenian manufacturer of water turbines.