Hydropower development
The gross theoretical hydropower potential of Turkey is 433
000 GWh/year and the technically feasible potential is 215
000 GWh/year. The economically feasible potential has been
re-evaluated in 1997 as 123 385 GWh/year, equivalent to 34
862 MW. So far, about 17 per cent of the technically feasible
potential has been developed. It is planned that by 2010,
60 per cent of the economically feasible hydropower potential
will be developed and the installed capacity will reach 22
509 MW.
The total installed capacity of all thermal and hydro plants
is 21 247 MW. There is about 10 108 MW of hydro capacity in
operation, generating on average 36 866 GWh/year. Actual generation
in 1996 was 40 475 GWh.
It is estimated that the hydro potential in operation could
be uprated by tetween 10 and 15 per cent. About 57 of the
493 hydro projects are part of multipurpose schems.
A further 3938 MW of hydro capacity is under construction,
and 19 433 MW is planned for the next 10 years.
The largest hydro plants under construction include: Birecik
(672 MW), Deriner (670 MW), Berke (510 MW), Obruk (203 MW),
Batman(198 MW), Karkamis *189 MW), Ozluce(170 MW) and Alpaslan
(160 MW).
The mean cost per kW of the hydro capacity under construction
is US$ 1350 /kW (excluding transmission costs).
The Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP), a large water resources
development project involving 22 dams, 19 hydro plants (7474
MW, 27 TWh/year), which will provide irrigarion for agricultural
production over an area of 1.7 ha in the region, is important
for the sustainable development for the whole of Turkey. So
far, about 60 per cent of the hydro capacity is in operation,
including the Keban (1330 MW), Karakaya (1800 MW)and Ataturk(2400
MW) plants, and 15 per cent is under construction, which includes
Birecik and Karkamis.
About 40 per cent of the total US$ 32 billion cost of the
GAP has been expended so far.
Small hydro there are 57 small, mini or micro hydro plants
in operation, with a total capacity of 126.5 MW. Two plants
are under construction (3.6 MW) and 98 are planned (493 MW).
It is planned that many of the small plants plants will be
implement as BOT projects.
Water Resources Turkey
Energy and power
sectors
Hydropower development
Future outlook 
