The Process Summit continues to keep the pulse of the process industry. The panel titled ‘The State of the Geothermal Energy Sector in Turkey and Process Control’ was moderated by Ufuk Şentürk, Chairman of the Board of JESDER, with panelists Murat Karadaş, General Manager of GMK Energy, Hasan Burak Başar, General Manager of Vatecco Energy, and Cihan Çanakçı, Chairman of the Board of Pozitif Energy.

"We are ranked 4th in the world in geothermal energy production; geothermal is the only renewable energy source that must be researched in Turkey," said JESDER Chairman Ufuk Şentürk as he shared information on the position of geothermal energy in Turkey. He then passed the floor to Vatecco Energy General Manager Hasan Burak Başar. Burak Başar began his remarks on the question of why geothermal energy by saying, "Geothermal power plants are the only renewable energy-focused plants that operate on a base-load principle," adding, "This is why geothermal is indispensable." JESDER Chairman Şentürk then added, "Geothermal plants occupy the least land per unit area and should be utilized on-site. It is particularly widely used in agriculture."

"NO INVESTMENT WITHOUT SUPPORT":

GMK Energy General Manager Murat Karadaş said, "The establishment of geothermal plants began in Western Anatolia and continues there. The most costly part of the activity is the drilling phase of exploration. While earlier wells were drilled down to 1500 meters, as of 2013, new sources are being explored at depths of 3000 meters, and costs have increased. Now that drilling has reached depths below 4000 meters, there is no longer any possibility of investment without a support mechanism."

Providing information about the Renewable Energy Resources Support Mechanism (YEKDEM) and the efforts made with the Ministry to extend the new legislation, JESDER Chairman Şentürk stated that they expect it to be extended until 2025. He then passed the floor to Pozitif Energy Chairman Cihan Çanakçı, who shared insights on local content contributions.

Çanakçı said, "3000 MW is the optimistic estimate, while 2000 MW is the pessimistic one, but it will likely settle somewhere in between. We are talking about a resource that will exist as long as the world exists." JESDER Chairman Şentürk also mentioned newly discovered high-temperature sources in Central Anatolia and predicted that targets of around 4000 MW would be achievable.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN LOCAL CONTENT?

Vatecco Energy General Manager Hasan Burak Başar shared insights into the local equipment sector and expressed support for the expansion of the YEKDEM scope. Pozitif Energy Chairman Cihan Çanakçı emphasized the importance of defining what is considered "local," stating, "We are now producing knowledge for the world, but we are at the very beginning of localization." GMK Energy General Manager Murat Karadaş added that localization should not only refer to materials but also to the local development of know-how.

The Geothermal Turkey 2018 congress, organized by JESDER (Geothermal Power Plant Investors Association), took place on April 12, 2018, at the Bilkent Hotel in Ankara with the participation of public and private sector representatives, where GMK Energy participated as a gold sponsor. The first day of the congress started with the JESDER special session, and the second day was completed with presentations by private sector representatives.

GMK Energy set up a stand at the congress, where it met with industry representatives and exchanged information about the services it provides to the sector. On the second day of the congress, GMK Energy General Manager Murat Karadaş gave a presentation titled "Direct Contact Steam Condenser Design."

GMK Energy participated as a kW sponsor in the IGC 2018 (International Geothermal Energy Congress and Exhibition), held on March 14-15, 2018, at the Sheraton Hotel in Ankara, with the participation of public and private sector representatives. During the two-day congress, GMK Energy set up a booth where they met with representatives of the geothermal energy sector.

At the congress, GMK Energy General Manager Murat Karadaş gave a presentation on "Direct Contact Steam Condenser Design," and project engineer Gülcan Yavuz Karadaş presented on GMK Energy's mobile application, the "Geothermal Investment Tool."

GMK Energy participated as a gold sponsor in the Geothermal Turkey 2019 Congress, organized by JESDER (Geothermal Power Plant Investors Association), which took place on February 6-7, 2019, at the Bilkent Hotel in Ankara with the participation of public and private sector representatives. The two-day congress featured public and private sector sessions that examined geothermal energy support mechanisms, industry challenges, its future, and new technologies.

At the congress, GMK Energy set up a booth where they met with industry representatives, exchanged information, and shared the services they provide to the sector.

On the first day of the congress, GMK Energy Senior Electrical and Electronics Engineer Selim TUNA presented the power plant monitoring software developed by GMK Energy, Thermosoft, with a presentation titled "Program Developed for Process Management: Thermosoft" to the industry stakeholders.

On the second day, GMK Energy General Manager Murat Karadaş presented his work on the utilization of low-enthalpy resources with a presentation titled "Design of a Power Plant with Organic Rankine Cycle for Power Generation from Low-Enthalpy Resources."

Geothermal drilling operations supported by the World Bank have begun in Aksaray under Güzelyurt Geothermal Energy Inc., a subsidiary of GMK Energy Group. Source: GMK’s World Bank-supported geothermal power plant project in Aksaray.

Energy Journal - Güzelyurt Geothermal Energy Inc., a subsidiary of GMK Energy Group, is searching for geothermal resources in the Güzelyurt district of Aksaray. The field preparation work for the project, initiated under the Risk Sharing Mechanism supported by the World Bank to promote geothermal energy investments in Turkey, was completed last month. Drilling operations began in April 2024.

DRILLING TO REACH 3000 METERS

Under the contract signed between Güzelyurt Geothermal Energy Inc. and TKYB, the goal is to drill to a depth of 3000 meters for three wells. The Güzelyurt geothermal exploration, which will take place very close to Turkey's hottest geothermal wells, with temperatures of 294°C and 341°C, is expected to be a critical step for Turkey's geothermal energy sector if successful. If the drilling is unsuccessful, 60% of the well costs will be covered by the fund.

Dr. Murat Karadaş, founder of GMK Energy, stated, "Our drilling operations are being carried out near Mount Hasan, which is classified as young volcanoes. We have been working in the area for nearly five years with our exploration team and consultants. In addition to geological studies, we conducted around 100 kilometers of seismic measurements as part of geophysical exploration, and we processed this data at data centers in Canada, China, and Ukraine to determine our drilling location. By considering the seismic data, we were able to intercept the targeted fault at a depth of 1000 meters, achieving a flow rate of 100 liters per second. Moving forward, we aim to intercept the fault at a deeper level to extract fluid."

LET'S NOT LIMIT GEOTHERMAL TO WESTERN ANATOLIA

Dr. Murat Karadaş expressed that geothermal energy investments have been concentrated in Western Anatolia, stating, "In addition to Aksaray, we are conducting geothermal exploration and drilling activities in our fields in Kütahya, Balıkesir, and Van." Karadaş emphasized that volcanic areas in Central and Eastern Anatolia also hold significant potential alongside the Aegean Region. "The national wealth in our country's energy resources should be utilized for local production. As GMK Energy, with our geothermal exploration activities, we aim to lead the way in expanding geothermal energy investments, which have been concentrated in Western Anatolia for the past 40 years, to other high-potential regions. Discovering untapped geothermal resources will reduce energy imports and significantly contribute to the regions where the resources are found," he added.

The Risk Sharing Mechanism (RPM), financed by the World Bank and the Clean Technology Fund, was launched in 2018 to support geothermal energy investments in Turkey. The total grant amount provided under the mechanism, managed by the Development and Investment Bank of Turkey (TKYB), was set at 38 million USD. In March 2020, RPM accepted its second round of applications, and Güzelyurt Geothermal Energy Inc., a GMK Energy Group company, secured support for its "Güzelyurt Geothermal Exploration Drilling" project in Aksaray under the contract signed with the World Bank and TKYB. The project's Environmental and Social Management Plans, as well as project details, were presented to the local community during Stakeholder Participation Meetings held in Aksaray-Güzelyurt on September 29, 2021, and November 29, 2023, where feedback and suggestions were gathered.

As GMK Enerji, we are proud to announce our geothermal resource exploration project on 7 geothermal licenses in the Çaldıran district of Van.

Located in Turkey's easternmost point, Çaldıran is the coldest district with temperatures dropping as low as -45°C. In this unique region, where the air is at its coldest, and the geothermal reservoir is at its hottest, we are taking a significant step forward.

This comprehensive project includes a total of 17 drilling wells. Our goal is to discover the geothermal potential of the region, determine the reserves, and contribute to sustainable energy production.

Through this project, we aim not only to advance the energy sector but also to add value to regional development. Once our work is complete, we plan to establish the first geothermal power plant in the Eastern Anatolia Region, adding a new point to Turkey's energy map and taking another step toward our sustainable energy goals.

We are excited to announce that GMK Energy has signed contract with Viking Services to drill three geothermal wells at the Koçpınar site in Aksaray, Türkiye. This project is a key step towards unlocking the geothermal potential of the region, supporting both local energy needs and Türkiye’s clean energy transition.

The drilling campaign will be conducted under the World Bank's Risk Sharing Mechanism (RSM), which aims to de-risk geothermal exploration projects. The Aksaray-Koçpınar region, known for its rich geothermal resources and favorable geological conditions, offers an excellent opportunity for sustainable energy development.

Thermosoft will stand out as an innovative solution that combines thermodynamic calculations, heat transfer, fluid mechanics modeling and artificial intelligence technology in geothermal power plants to optimize the plants and ensure their effective and efficient operation.

GMK Energy has been awarded the "TR33 Region Geothermal Water Management Model" tender managed by Zafer Development Agency with the support of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Industry and Technology.

Within the scope of this project to be carried out with theoretical and field studies of GMK Energy's multi-disciplinary expert engineers, the current situation analysis of the geothermal fields in the TR33 Region, which consists of Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, Manisa and Uşak provinces covered by Zafer Development Agency, will be carried out basin-based evaluation of the geothermal potential according to the best practices in the world. Additional studies that need to be carried out for a better management reservoir model and the economic activities that will occur will be determined, and province, district and field-based management model suggestions will be presented. It is aimed to maximize the utilization of geothermal resources in the region and to extract the most efficient reservoir management models in a sustainable way with this project.