THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
The ‘Sustainable Manisa Summit’ organised by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality in line with its vision to combat climate change brought together academics, civil society leaders, business representatives and local government officials from many cities across Türkiye.
Speaking to participants at the summit’s session titled ‘Geothermal Greenhouse Farming for Food Security,’ Ali Kındap, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Geothermal Energy Association (JED), provided participants with noteworthy information about the country’s current status and potential in geothermal greenhouse farming.
CAPACITY NOT 5 PERCENT OF POTENTIAL!
Underlining that countries have become aware of the vital importance of access to healthy, high-quality, and affordable food, especially after the pandemic, Kındap emphasised that this situation has led to an increase in geothermal greenhouse applications worldwide and that Türkiye is among the leading countries in this field.
Stating that Türkiye’s current geothermal greenhouse capacity of 7,000 decares is very low compared to the country’s potential, he said, “Our country, which has a potential of 150,000 decares of geothermal-heated greenhouses, currently ranks 7th in the world and 1st in Europe with a capacity that does not even reach 5 percent of this potential.”
“We as the Geothermal Energy Association support the Organised Agricultural Regions (OAZ) projects initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the addition of five projects to the system in 2024, the number of OAZs has risen to 43 and that by 2025, 14 out of the 22 Plant OAZs established in Türkiye will consist of geothermal greenhouses.”
“OARs SHOULD BE CLOSE TO GEOTHERMAL SOURCES”
Ali Kındap, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JED, also stated that Türkiye could easily reach 100,000 decares of geothermal greenhouse size within 10 years and made the following assessment:
“We have 30,000 decares of potential greenhouse area in these regions, which offer investors the opportunity to build geothermal-heated greenhouses with suitable loans. As JED, we prioritise the selection of Organised Agricultural Regions to be located directly above or very close to geothermal sources. Our hope is for the number of regions utilising geothermal sources to surge further. This would enable the country to achieve economies of scale in agricultural production, positioning it among the world’s leading countries in terms of production, employment, and exports.”
Highlighting that geothermal greenhouse farming provides a significant competitive advantage by enabling sustainable production that is uninterrupted and independent of climatic conditions, Kındap explained, “Geothermal greenhouses stand out for their low production costs, reliability and traceability, as well as their competitive edge and brand value. To enable uninterrupted production throughout the year, our greenhouses must be maintained at a specific temperature. In this field, energy costs constitute the most significant input cost. Geothermal greenhouse applications keep this input cost at near-zero levels while enabling a competitive production structure both in the domestic market and in exports. Greenhouse applications are of vital importance in terms of agricultural production, food security and the supply chain.”
Pointing out that production diversity will also enhance in geothermal greenhouses across Türkiye in the near future, Kındap added, “A wide variety of products, from tropical fruits with high added value and export potential to ornamental plants, will be produced in geothermal greenhouses.”
TÜRKİYE’S COMPLETED DISCOVERY OF GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL IS 62,000 MW!
• Türkiye and Anatolia are home to some of the world’s richest geothermal resources.
• With over 1,500 natural geothermal outlets, Türkiye currently has an installed geothermal electricity capacity of 1,733 megawatts (MW).
• When considering other applications of geothermal energy, such as thermal tourism, geothermal greenhouse farming, residential heating, and vegetable and fruit drying, Türkiye’s consumption exceeds 7,000 MW.
• This consumption represents 11 percent of the 62,000 MW of potential identified by the Mining Research and Exploration Institute (MTA).
• Despite this low usage, Türkiye is the fourth-largest producer of geothermal-based electricity in the world and the leading country in Europe…
