Performance Critique of the Former Energy Minister, as of June 2015

Dear Energy Professional, Dear Colleagues,

The Turkish energy policy is widely evaluated in our JTW articles. It is our humble understanding that Success is only measured with more electricity generation capacity than the annual consumption. Turkey had to increase more funds to be allocated to energy and climate research and the related technology. Today our country has reached to 70k MWe installed capacity with 40k MWe peak availability.

Turkey has to succeed in finding good, practical solutions for promoting the aspects of energy security as well as environmental sustainability, financial efficiency, the diversity of domestic energy production and its reliance on multiple energy sources, highlighting particularly thermal power, nuclear power, wind power, biomass and hydropower.

Turkey has to have pragmatic approach in meeting the international emissions objectives, and for being capable of combining environmental perspectives with decision-making in the energy sector.

We need to point out following as the related key success factors: successful decision-making, stable financing, strong national and regional research organizations, proactive international co-operation and public-private co-operation.

Our former Energy Minister did not participate in the 7 June 2015 General Elections because of his party’s regulation that none of their members of parliament may serve for more than three consecutive terms. He was a member of the Justice and Development Party and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. He graduated from the prestigious Istanbul Technical University as an electrical engineer and worked for the Kayseri Electricity Generation Company. He was elected to the Parliament in 2002. He served as an experienced professional senior energy adviser to the Prime Minister. On 1 May 2009, after a reshuffle of the cabinet, he took the post of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. He is married and has four children. Ref. Wikipedia.

He was the major decision maker in energy policies and the influencer MP of the ruling political party. As energy minister as well as the day-to-day running of this important department dealing with Turkey’s gas, electricity requirements he had to deal with a number of issues including but not limited to the following matters;

- Privatization of Turkey’s energy sector, generation, distribution,

- Rehabilitation of aging Thermal Power plants,

- Tendering Afsin- Elbistan C & D, based on firing local mine mouth local lignite,

- Negotiating natural gas purchases with countries Russia, Iran and others.

- Realization of New pipelines, securing gas from upstream gas suppliers,

- Drafting Legal framework of Renewable energy,

- Negotiating for three nuclear power stations in Turkey,

- Continued oil exploration onshore and offshore, investment in hydro-electric power,

- Strategy for more exploitation of local coal mining,

- Crises management during coal disasters in Soma, Ermenek,

His job is now over. We have no doubt that he was a talented politician, devoted to his job. In the future, attention should be paid to generation more electricity, project finance, market credibility, constructing more power plants, strengthening the long-term policy measures related to energy security and energy efficiency.

Turkey is to continue taking account of the energy security aspects and to focus – in addition to the security of imported energy supply – on the diversity of domestic fabrication of energy production and new renewable energy sources.

We hope better performance from the newcomer.

Oberstdorf, Germany, 15 June 2015

Haluk Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.