A study visit by Turkish clean energy companies and government officials to Spain last week, as part of the BEST For Energy (Boosting Effective and Sustainable Transformation for Energy) Project, explored opportunities for new bilateral partnerships in clean energy and technologies.
The delegation visited the TEKNIKER and TECNALIA research centers and the construction site of the first floating wind turbine project, DemoSATH, in Spain in the port of Bilbao, followed by B2B meetings with European clean energy companies at the world's largest wind energy exhibition, WindEurope.
The delegation consisted of representatives of clean energy companies and institutions in Turkiye, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Technology and Izmir Development Agency (IZKA), the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, ESBAS Aegean Free Zone, and the Association of Energy Industrialists and Businessmen (ENSIA).
Potential collaboration options and joint projects between Izmir, known as the wind capital of Turkiye, and Bilbao, a well-developed port city in wind energy, were discussed during meetings with the Basque Trade and Investment and Basque Energy Cluster.
In Barcelona, the circular economy, urban applications of clean energy, smart transportation systems, and viable areas of cooperation between Izmir and Barcelona were discussed at an Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIO) meeting.
Barcelona City Council also hosted the delegation and relayed their activities in the fields of future cities, innovation, entrepreneurship, clean energy, and creative industries.
The Catalan Energy Cluster (CEEC) and the European Foundation for Cluster Excellence (EFCE) were the last stops for the delegation in Barcelona where the clean energy cluster, ENSIA, was introduced and discussions held on good practices on clustering policies and strategies.
Cluster Manager at the CEEC, Francesc Ribera Grau, found common ground between Spain and Turkiye for discussions on the development of renewable energies.
Founded in 2008 with ten companies, the CEEC expanded to 185 members with the aim of boosting the energy transition, promoting the competitiveness of associate members, and fostering collaboration, Grau explained.
The CEEC is one of two main clusters in Spain that is enlarging to become a bigger ecosystem, which includes companies in manufacturing, consultancy, engineering, construction and maintenance, along with financial and legal entities.
In parallel, Turkiye's renewable energy sector is thriving, as evidenced by the doubling in one year of ENSIA members, which is set to soar in the coming years, according to Alper Kalayci, the chairman of ENSIA.
'The energy transition will only be possible if cooperation between different clean energy sections is ensured. At ENSIA, we are trying to capture all these groups,' Kalaycı said.
Kalayci envisages that Turkiye, which is well placed to develop clean energy, will soon become a clean energy production center.
Murat Celik, an investment support office coordinator at IZKA, drew similarities between Izmir and Barcelona during a meeting with ACCIO with the aim to network for the growth of blue and green energy.
Turkiye, as the eleventh-largest economy globally and a candidate country to the EU, has direct access to the EU’s markets, he said.
'Izmir, in particular, with its developed infrastructure, provides easy access to markets, has a young and dynamic workforce and high quality of life, and offers an ideal environment for investors. Our extensive innovation and R&D ecosystem allow for innovative activities,' he said.
He noted that in the past few years, Izmir has had a foreign trade surplus, achieving an export-import ratio of 120% in the last ten years.
Celik explained that the BEST For Energy Project aims to increase the competitiveness of clean energy in Izmir while highlighting that collaboration opportunities encompass clean energy, urban applications, rooftop solar systems and energy storage, green hydrogen, and renewable energy between Izmir and Barcelona, and wind energy with Bilbao.
BEST For Energy Project is supported by the European Commission within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program of Turkiye's Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Initiated in the third quarter of 2020, IZKA, along with Izmir-based ENSIA, is responsible for implementing the project that focuses on green growth based on environmental sustainability goals.
By Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu in Barcelona
Anadolu Agency
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