ENERGO-PRO invests in new factory in Ankara

International hydroelectric power plant operator ENERGO-PRO continues to grow. Headquartered in Prague, the group inaugurated its factory in Ankara that will produce turbines, generators and hydroelectric power plant equipment. The factory, which is a first in Turkey, is operated by Litostroj Turkey company within the ENERGO-PRO Group. Slovenian turbine manufacturer Litostroj Power and engineering company Litostroj Engineering from the Blansko region of Moravia, Czech Republic; It is part of the ENERGO-PRO Group. Engineers from Blansko and Slovenian Lithostroj experts joined forces to set up the new factory in Turkey. Speaking at the opening, Pavel Váňa, CEO of the ENERGO-PRO Group, said: "With this investment, we are bringing to Turkey the traditional technical expertise of Central Europe in the field of turbine manufacturing." Váňa, who draws attention to the history of Czechia in hydraulic turbine production for more than a century; He added that they aim to bring specialized production technologies to the country by offering favorable conditions. The main machines of the factory, where the most modern technologies will be used in the production of turbines and generators, come from the Czech Republic (TOS Kuřim company). The amount of the investment made for the factory is 25 million euros. In his speech**, ENERGO-PRO Turkey General Manager Celal Kozumali** said, "The Ankara factory currently has 53 employees and work has started on the first order for the Karakurt Dam and HEPP Project built by the ENERGO-PRO group." Within the framework of this order, two Francis turbines with a power of 44 MW and a turbine with a power of 11.5 MW are being produced. The turbines and generators were designed by Litostroj Engineering; The calculations and documentation related to the project were prepared by engineers from Blansko. Pavel Váňa stated that all of the hydraulic tests were carried out by the Blansko laboratory. The stator of the small turbine with a power of 11.5 MW is in the process of completion and final operations are being carried out on the wheel of one of the large turbines. The Francis turbine spirals were sent to Karakurt by the Litostroj Turkey. Construction of the factory began in July 2017. It is located in the AS02 industrial zone, about 30 kilometers from the center of Ankara. The factory has three manufacturing halls, the total area of the area is over 32 thousand square meters. The training of machine operators and turbine technicians took place at the Litostroj Power company in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The personnel responsible for the manufacture of generators were then trained and practiced during the reconstruction of generators used in ENERGO-PRO's hydroelectric power plants in Georgia. Strengthening its activities in Turkey The Ankara plant is also working on another order, and that is from Georgia: the production of stators for the Gumati II hydraulic plant. This project is also carried out in cooperation with Blansko Lithostroj Engineering. "Production is entirely in the hands of our Turkish colleagues, they work with suppliers in Turkey to ensure final production in our factory," says Pavel Váňa. Strengthening our activities in Turkey ENERGO-PRO is also strengthening its activities in Turkey with its new factory. The primary focus here is the construction of new hydroelectric power plants. Turkey, along with Bulgaria and Georgia, is among the three countries with the strongest activities of the group in the field of electricity generation from river sources. The construction of two dam plants in eastern Turkey is in its final phase: Karakurt and Alpaslan 2. In the next two years, ENERGO-PRO Turkey will increase its installed capacity in its resources fivefold to approximately 500 MW. The development of the energy sector in Turkey Turkey's energy sector will show strong development despite the economic problems experienced over the past year. The country plans to reduce dependence on energy imports from abroad. Renewables are significantly supported by the expected strong energy demand, including hydroelectric power plants. Turkey provides a purchase guarantee in US dollars, thus providing confidence to investors and protecting against currency fluctuations. "The Turkish domestic market is showing uninterrupted strong growth," Pavel Váňa said, emphasizing the following points: "The Turkish private sector is highly competitive and dynamic. The country can be proud of its advanced infrastructure not only in the fields of transport and telecommunications, but also in the energy sector."The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey calmed the financial markets by raising interest rates to 24% from 17.75% last year.