As part of its climate action, the City of Gaziantep in Turkey is all set to power most of its municipal buildings and infrastructure with renewable energy. The municipality is committed to a sustainable urban transformation that will benefit all residents. Keeping this in view, last month, the City had joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)'s flagship urban sustainability programme, Green Cities.
As part of this collaboration, the EBRD is providing a 10-year €10 million ($11.31 million) loan to finance the five grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) plants with a total installed capacity of 27 MW. The loan will be accompanied by a €7 million grant from the Bank's Shareholder Special Fund in a move to support Gaziantep, whose population has seen rapid growth and inflow of Syrian refugees.
The solar PV plants will enable the City to save on electricity bills significantly, thus relieving pressure on the city's budget. The project will also help avoid carbon emissions and intense use of water for electricity generation.
Speaking on this, Mayor of Gaziantep Fatma Sahin, said, "We are doing our best to increase the generation of renewable energy. We are also making great endeavours to ensure that air and the water in the city are clean. The EBRD's support and its Green Cities programme comes at the right time as we intensify our efforts to improve sustainability. The 27 MW solar power plant will have a significant impact on the environment and climate of Gaziantep and the region."
Meanwhile, EBRD Managing Director for Sustainable Infrastructure Nandita Parshad said, "The EBRD is clearly acting on its commitment to support Turkey's green transition. Investing in a solar project for the municipality's own energy consumption is our first step in Gaziantep under our Green Cities programme. We will also be helping the city to integrate solar power into electricity grids more broadly."
EBRD also plans to devise a Green City Action Plan, the backbone of the Green Cities programme in Gaziantep. It is a step-by-step investment plan covering green infrastructure, including solid waste, water, wastewater, street lighting, energy supply and transport. The development of the plan will be funded by the Clean Technology Fund, part of the Climate Investment Funds.
Gaziantep is the fourth Turkish city to join Green Cities alongside Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul. The EBRD and Gaziantep are long-standing partners, where in February, EBRD had approved €40 million ($48 million) loan for Turkish lease receivables company Is Finansal Kiralama A.S. (see €40 Million From EBRD To Back Green Investments In Turkey)