The "Research and Development of Methods for Converting Thermal Power Plant Waste Heat into Benefit to Increase Energy Efficiency and Application of Heating in Buildings (TSAD) Project", which was carried out and successfully completed by TÜBİTAK MAM and Yıldız Technical University between 2006 and 2011 with the TÜBİTAK 1007 KAMAG Support Program, was put into practice with a pilot application in Soma District of Manisa. With the application, for the first time in Turkey, a thermal power plant, which currently only generates electricity, was made capable of generating heat at the same time with a completely domestic design, and the heat generated started to supply heat to the district heating system established in the district. With this pilot application, the houses connected to the system in the district meet their heating and hot water needs by utilizing the waste heat of the thermal power plant without using fuel.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız, Manisa Governor Abdurrahman Savaş, Manisa Governor Abdurrahman Savaş, Manisa MP Hüseyin Tanrıverdi, Chairman of the TBMM Plan and Budget Commission and Manisa MP Recai Berber, EÜAŞ General Manager Halil Alış, SEAŞ General Manager Nuri Şerifoğlu, TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center President Bahadır Tunaboylu, Soma District Governor Mehmet Bahattin Atçı, Mayor Hasan Ergene and citizens attended the opening ceremony of the pilot application.
Taner Yıldız, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, inspected the heat center of the district heating system established in the district and received information from the authorities. He stated that the Soma B Thermal Power Plant in the region is one of the most important power plants of the country with a power of approximately 1,000 MW, and that they have implemented an exemplary model in cooperation with TÜBİTAK and academicians from universities to utilize the waste heat from this power plant.
Referring to the fact that there are not many examples of cooperation between public institutions in our country, Yıldız said in his speech: "We are talking about an important project where the sweat of our miners' brow is converted into energy here and the hot water and steam are evaluated and offered to the service of the people of Soma, and we are talking about a pioneering work that will set an example for Turkey." He also said, "Turkey's most domestic resource is the resource to be obtained from energy savings. This facility you see is one of the most important savings items. Soma Municipality will bring a cleaner and cheaper energy than natural gas to all its residents. The energy of 8 thousand houses will be provided from here. We will send our colleagues here to show this project as an example to Turkey." and stated that similar applications can be realized for the other 14 thermal power plants.
In his speech, Soma Mayor Hasan Ergene stated that the heating project for 8,100 houses, which was initiated within the scope of the project to utilize the waste heat of thermal power plants, has so far reached 1500 houses and that the system is expected to be completed in 2 years. Stating that livelihoods such as greenhouse cultivation will also be activated within the scope of the project, Ergene said, "According to the 30-year purchase agreement we made, the cost of heat energy kilowatt hour was determined as approximately 2 kurus. So it is a little more expensive than free. In this way, Soma has gained the opportunity for cheap and clean heating for 30 years. He started an investment that will be an example for Turkey."
TUBITAK Marmara Research Center President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahadır Tunaboylu wished this project to be beneficial for Soma District and stated that Soma has become an R&D center for them and that many projects such as Development and Localization of National Thermal Power Plant Technologies (MİLTES) and Development and Localization of National Sulfur Treatment Systems (MİLKAS) will be implemented in Soma.
