Brussels, 22/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) is to lend €135 million to support the construction of eight hydro-electric power plants in south east Turkey by Enerjisa Enerji Üretim A.ª., a 50/50 joint venture between Haci Õmer Sabanci Holding A.ª and Österreichische Elektrizitätswirtschafts AG.
The eight plants, which will have an installed capacity of 955 megawatts (MW), are to be built along the Seyhan and Ceyhan rivers and will comprise run-the-river weirs and reservoir dam structures. They form part of a wider €1.4 billion project to build 10 hydro-electric power plants and an efficient gas-fired power station in Bandirma, in northern Turkey, with a combined capacity of approximately 1.9 gigawatts (GW). The EIB financing, which relates only to the renewable energy part of Enerjisa's programme, complements the €965 million finance facilities arranged by International Finance Corporation, Akbank and WestLB. Most of the project's hydro-power plants are expected to become operational in 2011, with the remainder coming on stream in 2012. (O.L./transl.rt)