Alternative energy

With renewable energy on the rise, it makes perfect sense for the title “world’s largest solar plant” to change hands pretty quickly. In 2014 for example, the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm held the title, to be toppled in November by a 648 MW plant in Kamuthi India. At this point in time, China’s Dam Solar Park has risen above them all with 850 MW of capacity. Sound like a lot?

France on Dec. 22 inaugurated the world's first "solar highway," a road paved with solar panels providing enough energy to power the street lights of the small Normandy town of Tourouvre.

Atmospheric pollution remains the biggest environmental threat for Europeans, according to an annual report by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) for 2013-14.

Turkey's renewable energy sector will attract nearly $28 billion investments by 2020, according to a new report by the World Bank's IFC arm. 

Some $16.4 billion of these investments will be made in wind power, $7.4 billion in solar energy, $3.4 billion in geothermal energy and $560 million in hydro power, according to data compiled by state-run Anadolu Agency. 

Feeding the world’s growing population takes a lot of land, especially if you want to grow crops in an eco-friendly way.  But space for such crops is limited.

The World Bank's Board of Directors on Nov. 1 approved an IBRD loan of $250 million and a Clean Technology Fund Grant of $39.8 million for the Geothermal Development Project in Turkey, which will help create renewable energy by tapping heat sources deep in the ground, said the organization in a written statement on Nov. 2. 

A leading businessman from the energy sector has said Turkey could reach its target of 20,000 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity by 2023 by revising its existing investment and licensing model. 

King Mohammed VI on Feb. 4 inaugurated Morocco's first solar power plant, a massive project that the country sees as part of its goal of boosting its clean energy output.

Turkey has announced a series of new subsidies to support renewable energy equipment production, as it raises its renewable energy targets.

Turkey's Zorlu Energy has signed $815 million in loans with four banks to refinance the existing debts of its Zorlu Do?al Elekrik Üretim and finance its planned geothermal power plant project in Denizli, the company announced in a statement to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) on Oct. 27.