Turkey will start to produce synthetic fuel by coal and biomass, which will help to reduce energy imports, Turkey's energy minister said on Sunday.
'Our aim is, by increasing the number of facilities, to reduce our energy bill and produce synthetic fuel worth more than $2 billion per year,' Energy Minister, Ali Riza Alaboyun, told Anadolu Agency.
A power plant with a 4 gigawatt thermal capacity will come online next year at western Manisa province, according to Alaboyun, as the initial aim is to produce synthetic fuel of $500 million annually.
The project, which was kick started in 2009, is being conducted by Turkey's scientific research body and the country's coal directorate jointly.
'Within pilot project, we will generate 250 kilogram of fuel per hour and 6-7 barrels daily,' the minister added, reminding how crucial for Turkey to diminish its $55 billion energy import.
Turkey aims to produce 20 percent of its energy imports by synthetic fuel, which can be obtained from biomass and lignite coal through gasification.
Reporting By Nuran Erkul & Writing By Furkan Naci Top
Anadolu Agency
furkan.top@aa.com.tr