Bioenergy Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy that is derived from plants and animal waste. The Biomass (energy), biomass that is used as input materials consists of recently living (but now dead) organisms, mainly plants. Thus, Fossil fuel, fossil fu ...

forms a small part of the Turkish energy sector. There is unrealised potential to generate bioenergy using waste from the country's vast

agricultural sector Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

and

forest resources A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

. The possibility of expanding

biogas Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste, Wastewater treatment, wastewater, and food waste. Biogas is produced by anaerobic ...

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from Biomass (energy), biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricu ...

and

bioethanol Ethanol fuel is fuel containing ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol as found in alcoholic beverages. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline. Several common ethanol fuel mixtures are in use a ...

production and use has been suggested to supplement Turkey's energy needs, reduce dependency on

fossil fuel A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geolog ...

imports and cut

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

Overview

Turkey is highly dependent on

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologica ...

for its energy needs, contributing to increasing

and raising concerns over

energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption (as opposed to household energy insecurity). Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern ...

. Since 1980, Turkey has considered using

biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

for energy and heating, and in the 2010s included a biomass component in its target of achieving 20%

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

by 2023. The economic biomass potential of Turkey is 32 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe)/year. Total biomass production is estimated to reach 52.5 Mtoe by 2030. An estimated 6.5 million homes in Turkey use biomass as their main source of heating fuel. Waste from the country's vast

has potential as a source of heat and energy, and could reduce dependency on foreign fuel imports.

Bio-waste Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in type of waste, waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane, compost, humus, and simple organic molecules by Microorganism, micro-organisms and other living things by compos ...

from Marmara Region has potential to generate almost half its energy needs. The country's rich

have also been proposed as a source of renewable bioenergy. Forest residues (wood chips and pellets) from industrial activities are also a potential source of biomass - their use in energy generation could reduce Turkeys' greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5% and save $0.5 billion annually by reducing the need for fossil fuel imports. Sources of biomass energy include grain dust, wheat straw, and hazelnut shell. Biomass as an energy source is advantageous due to its ability to be readily available all year round. Tupraş intends to make

sustainable aviation fuel An aviation biofuel (also known as bio-jet fuel, Note: About">Investable Universe>About' sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or bio-aviation fuel (BAF)) is a biofuel used to power aircraft. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) consid ...

. The Shura Energy Transition Centre in Istanbul suggests that Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage can remove residual

after net zero in 2053. There are drawbacks to using biomass as energy in Turkey. These include but are not limited to: availability (seasonally and geographically), production (based on climate conditions), and cost of transportation. Overall, the cost of biomass waste varies depending on Turkey's economic status and crop production. there are no reliable production or export statistics.

Biogas

There is significant

generation potential in Turkey. More than eighty five million tons of

animal waste Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nutri ...

is produced annually in Turkey. This could be used to produce over 1.8 million tons of oil equivalent (toe). With plant waste included the potential raises to over 5.3 million tons of oil equivalent (toe). A 2022 study estimated the country's biogas potential at 7 billion m³ per year. However, only 85 biogas facilities with 36 plants are currently in operation in Turkey.

Eastern Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...

and Central Anatolia have the greatest potential for electricity generation from animal waste. The world's largest landfill gas power plant began operating in 2020 in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Biofuel

One percent of fuel requirements in Turkey are produced by biofuels, with an estimated increase of seven percent in 2023.

Biojet An aviation biofuel (also known as bio-jet fuel, Note: About">Investable Universe>About' sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or bio-aviation fuel (BAF)) is a biofuel used to power aircraft. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) conside ...

production is hoped to be certified in 2022. A

biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

plant is planned. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

and

Ministry of Industry and Technology The Ministry of Industry and Technology () is a government ministry office of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for industrial and commercial affairs in Turkey. The ministry is headed by Mehmet Fatih Kacır. Ministers * Mustafa Varank (10 J ...

funded the establishment of a

biorefinery A biorefinery is a refinery that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts (such as chemicals). The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 42 defined biorefining as "the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bi ...

in Istanbul, which converts processes algae biomass into biofuel and other products.

Bioethanol

In 2011, Turkish Energy Regulatory Agency (EMRA) mandated biofuel blending for bioethanol (2%) and

(1%). Approximately 1.5 million tons of biodiesel and 3 million tons of bioethanol are produced in Turkey.

Sugar beets A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

are the main source of

production in Turkey, followed by

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

and

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, with a yearly production of 15, 4.3 and 20 tons per year, respectively.

References

External links