MİLRES; THE LARGEST R&D PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC
Fikri Işık, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, stated that the issue of obtaining energy from wind is developing rapidly in Turkey, but the technology is completely imported, and said, "Being a technology producer is one of Turkey's most important goals."
Fikri Işık, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, and Taner Yıldız, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, attended the launch ceremony of the "National Wind Energy Systems (MİLRES) Development and Prototype Turbine Production Project". Speaking at the ceremony, Işık said that investments that will reduce Turkey's dependence on foreign sources of energy, which is the area Turkey needs the most, are strategic investments of priority for Turkey.
Pointing out that the energy demand in Turkey is increasing rapidly and that the country is investing heavily in renewable energy, Işık said, "We signed a protocol with Minister Taner Yıldız and we will start 3 thousand megawatts of energy production in Konya-Karapınar Energy Specialized Industrial Zone. We will also start 300 megawatts of solar energy production in Niğde and Karaman. Wind is a rapidly developing subject in Turkey, but unfortunately, we import the technology completely. Becoming a technology producer is one of Turkey's most important goals, which is why we attach importance to this project. What is important here is that more than 90 percent of the prototype produced is domestic production."
Minister Işık said that with the indigenization of this technology, approximately 15 billion dollars worth of foreign currency will be kept in Turkey and added: "The project will directly employ 100 thousand people and indirectly employ 250 thousand people."
"We offered 3 thousand megawatts, 43-44 thousand megawatts of demand came"
Taner Yıldız, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, stated that every protocol they have made so far regarding indigenization and domestic production has brought beneficial results, and that this is extremely important for Turkey's industry.
Minister Yıldız informed that there are currently 4 thousand megawatts of wind power plants in operation and 2 thousand megawatts of wind power plants under construction:
"While reducing operating costs, we should not take any action that will negatively affect investment costs and the current account deficit. Recently, as a result of the confidence of our investors in political stability and their confidence in the energy sector policies and strategies, we launched a supply of 3 thousand megawatts related to wind, and 43-44 thousand megawatts of demand came. This means a very important support for both the political stability of our country and the structuring of the energy sector. The work will not end with this, it will develop and grow."
Following the speeches, Ministers Işık and Yıldız, TÜBİTAK Vice President Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çelik, Sabancı Holding Chairman and Managing Director Güler Sabancı and other officials watched the presentation of the prototype wind turbine. Then, Işık and Yıldız entered the prototype turbine and made inspections.
MILRES Project
The MİLRES Project is the largest budgeted civil R&D project in the history of the Republic of Turkey as of the date of its inception, with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources as the client institution, and supported entirely with domestic resources by the TÜBİTAK Public Institutions Research and Development Projects Support Program (1007 Program).
Among the project partners, Sabancı University is responsible for the main work package "Project Management, Mechanical Systems", TAI/TAI for the main work package "Turbine Blades", Istanbul Ulaşım AŞ for the main work package "Control and Electronic Systems", TÜBİTAK MAM Energy Institute for the main work package "Generators and Electrical Systems", and Istanbul Technical University for the main work package "Wind Analysis and Construction Systems". The design and manufacturing of the unique hub, where the turbine blades and rotor are connected, was carried out under the supervision of MAM-BYST Vice President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Makaracı (Kocaeli University).
In the first phase of the project, 98 researchers and 23 graduate students from nine different universities and institutions are taking part. The production, assembly and ground tests of all components of the MİLRES Project have been completed, with field installation planned for May 30-31. Following the installation and commissioning of the 500 kilowatt turbine, the second phase of the project, which has completed its first phase, is expected to start the domestic design and manufacture of a 2.5 megawatt wind turbine this year.
The project aims to develop and prototype wind turbines capable of producing 2.5 megawatts of electricity on an industrial scale with completely indigenous and domestic technology.
The project aims to create the infrastructure required for the establishment of a unique and world-class competitive wind industry whose design and technology belongs to Turkey, and to meet 25 percent of the total resource of around 40 billion dollars expected to go abroad for the installation of a total of 40 Gigawatts of wind energy capacity in the long term with domestic turbine technologies and to prevent 10 billion dollars of national resources from going abroad, The aim is to develop the production and testing infrastructure of wind turbine subsystems in Turkey, to provide job opportunities for Turkish industrialists and workers, to revitalize domestic production by training the workforce in this field, to evaluate the export potential to similar markets, and to develop towers, blades, generators and related power electronics systems for wind power plants; towers, blades, generators and related power electronics systems for wind power plants.
