Animal waste biogas plant for Gaziantep, Turkey

A new biogas power plant is to be built in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality will use the new facility to produce electricity for the city’s rail system, claims Turkish news site Milliyet, who cited Gaziantep’s mayor, Fatima Sahin.

According to Renewables Now, the electricity produced by the facility is estimated to satisfy 60% of the electricity needs of the municipality’s rail system. Construction of the biogas power plant, which will cost TRY 13 million (€3.3 million), is already in progress and expected to be completed in August 2018. Following a trial period of between one and two months, the new facility will start producing electricity.

Biogas will be produced from animal waste, solving two problems in one. Animal waste, in particular from poultry, is proving a problem for local farmers. As such, the new plant will offer a manure “recycling service.” The plant will also produce liquid fertiliser as a by-product of its process, which will be offered to the local farmers.

A tender was held to select the developer of the project, although the name of the successful applicant has not been disclosed. Gaziantep municipality spent over a year researching the project, and signing agreements with local farmers to secure a feedstock supply for the new biogas plant.

The new biogas facility forms part of an initiative to take advantage of the region’s renewable energy potential. This initiative has also seen Gaziantep venture into solar and wind sources.